Thread: MS: Civil Liberties Groups Want Madison County Sheriff Gone

Even in Mexifornia we have periodical road blocks.
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Madison 03/25/08
Civil Liberties Groups Want Madison County Sheriff Gone



By Julie Straw


Several civil liberties groups are calling for the resignation of Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge. The Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance, Citizens Against Racial Profiling and others say African Americans and Latinos are being unfairly targetted by deputies.

"Deputies there think a reason of suspicion is simply being black or brown in Madison County," said Bent Cox with the American Civil Liberties Union.

Civil liberties groups are throwing strong accusations at the Madison County Sheriff's Department. Tuesday they gathered on the supreme court steps to talk about racial profiling in the county, including road blocks they claim target black and hispanic communities.

"These road blocks that get set up for apparently no reason other than deputies at the time feel like if there's a congregation of African Americans or Latinos then this is a good time to set up these road blocks," said Cox.

"The problem is some people don't want the law enforced. They want to move around when they want to, do what they want to with no consequences. As long as I'm sheriff there's nothing wrong with enforcing the law," said Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge.

Trowbridge says in his eight years as sheriff his focus has been one thing...safety. He denies claims of inmates being mistreated in the Madison County Jail or deputies targetting a person because of the color of their skin. But will he sit down and explain that to the people who are calling for his resignation?

"I don't meet with that kind of people. Nothing good can come out of a meeting where people who have already set in there mind that you're doing wrong," said Sheriff Trowbridge.

"If he doesn't resign we will do all that we can to bring the correct charges against Sheriff Trowbridge in order to move forward," said David L. Archie with the Citizens Against Racial Profiling.

The next step for the coalition is a march and rally at the Madison County Sheriff's department on Thursday at noon.

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=8068507

"The problem is some people don't want the law enforced. They want to move around when they want to, do what they want to with no consequences. As long as I'm sheriff there's nothing wrong with enforcing the law," said Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge.

Standing ovation Sheriff.

A house divided against itself cannot stand.
Abraham Lincoln