t-r'om mu 15 NOV Z012 04:46:35 PM EST ID #5340845 Page 5 7 Tlaxas CIVIL RIG:-its Raorscr 1405 Montopolis Drive Austin, TX {telephone} (fax) web: C. .{Jirecmr 15 November 2012 Chief Art Acevedo Austin Police Department PO Box 689001 Austin, Texas 78768-9001 Re: Possible police racial profiling Dear Chief Acevedo: We are concerned with the information that has recently become public (attached) that, While eight percent of Austinites are African American, 28 percent of people arrested by APD for marijuana possession since 2009 are black. This, despite U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data showing African Americans and whites do not differ substantially in marijuana use. Even just as startling is that the arrest rate for white Austinites is 34 percent although their representation in the population is 48 percent. This, despite I-II-IS data Showing that white people are more likely to have experimented with marijuana at least once in their lifetime. These facts raise serious questions, at least, as to whether APD officers are doing racial profiling or consistently exercising their discretion in favor of whites and against African Americans. I Wonder if you could respond to these concerns within the next 10 days? Thank you. Sincerely, . 3' .5: tn. 3' James C. Harrington Cc: Nelson Linder, Austin NAACP Jonas Geissler, U.S. Dep't of Justice Mark Ott, Austin City Manager Margo Frasier, Austin Police Monitor The Texas Project, a promotes' ciw'! and and rac1'ai'jusr:'ce for poor and peopfe Ihrozrghout 7'au:as, with in San Juan, Para, Harmon, and