NEWPORT — The Campbell County Police Department, following a state mandate, now has a stated policy prohibiting officers from using racial profiling to make traffic stops or other detainments.

        The Campbell County Fiscal Court on Tuesday approved a resolution adopting amendments to the police policy manual relating to racial profiling and seizure of contraband property.

        “We needed to have this in place by the end of January or face the possibility of losing state funding,” Lt. Col. Keith Hill said. “This is something all the departments will do if they haven't already.”

        Racial profiling is a practice of identifying, stopping, searching or harassing people based on their race without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. Newport Police Chief Tom Fromme said his department adopted an officialpolicy against racial profiling in July 2000 and had it reviewed by the state attorney general's office.

        “It details exactly what racial profiling is, what procedures our officers are to follow, and explains disciplinary action that might be involved if a profiling case were alleged,” Chief Fromme said.

        Lt. Col. Hill said the policy amendment regarding seizures was also required by the state. “If we don't have a seizure policy in place, we could also lose funding and not be able to use money from the disposal of seized property,” he said. “Most departments regularly seize property relating to drug arrests, and we can't afford to lose that money.”

        Senate Bill 76, passed by the Kentucky legislature in the last session and enacted in June, requires that any police department getting state salary support adopt a specific policy against racial profiling or lose funding.

        The moves by Campbell County and Newport take place with the racial tension in Cincinnati as a backdrop.

        Negotiation of a settlement in the federal racial profiling lawsuit against the city will begin in December or January. The suit alleged decades of discrimination against African-Americans. More than 3,500 people were asked to give their input, which will be used in crafting the settlement agreement.

        Campbell County commissioners also approved a contract with the Greater Cincinnati Hazmat Unit to cover emergency hazardous materials spills in the county. The county will pay Greater Cincinnati Hazmat $12,406 annually.

        “This contract is required because of the demise of Hazmat 7,” county disaster and emergency services coordinator Ken Knipper explained, referring to the defunct Northern Kentucky hazardous-materials unit.

        “Hazmat 7 had problems, and it became more difficult to keep volunteers for that kind of duty,” he said. “Hazardous-materials handling and cleanup requires intensive training and it's risky. We finally reached a point where Hazmat 7 could not longer be effective because of the loss of people.”

        He said there will be first-response units from fire departments in Campbell, Kenton and Boone counties in the event of a hazardous spill, after which Greater Cincinnati Hazmat will arrive to handle containment and cleanup. Greater Cincinnati Hazmat will have units available in Fort Wright and Boone County to make Northern Kentucky runs.

        Fiscal Court approved a resolution that adopts plans for designated shelters in various county buildings, where county workers and visitors can go in the event of any type of terrorist attack. This is a program mandated by the federal government and the necessity for such shelters has been re-emphasized by the events of Sept. 11.

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