Pubdate: Sat, 10 Feb 2001
Source: Washington Post (DC)Section: Page A07
Copyright: 2001 The Washington Post Company
Contact:  1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
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Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Dana Milbank
Note: Justin Blum, staff writer, contributed to this report.

BUSH CONSIDERS MOVE AGAINST RACIAL PROFILING

President Bush, visiting Nalle Elementary School in Southeast Washington 
yesterday, said he will seek opportunities to address the thorny issue of 
racial profiling, a practice in which police consider a person's race when 
making traffic stops or holding suspects.

Bush, who went to the school to commemorate Black History Month, was asked 
by a reporter whether he would establish a panel to examine racial 
profiling or sign an executive order banning it. "I look at all 
opportunities, starting with gathering of information, where the federal 
government can help jurisdictions gather information, compile information 
to get the facts on the table, to make sure that people are treated fairly 
in the justice system," he said.

Bush's spokesman, Ari Fleischer, said the administration will be listening 
to "various people," including law enforcement authorities, "to move 
forward on some type of understanding about what can be done." The 
International Association of Chiefs of Police has requested a meeting with 
the White House staff, and the White House is planning more meetings.

Fleischer suggested the answer wouldn't be as simple as banning the 
practice. "It's not as if there is one federal police force that the 
president can wave a magic wand and make a very, very difficult problem go 
away," he said. "It involves a lot of local jurisdictions that the United 
States government does not have direct control over."

President Clinton directed federal law enforcement agencies to compile data 
on racial profiling, but he declined to suggest a ban.

The gesture and the school visit were the latest efforts by Bush to improve 
relations with African Americans. In addition to such visits, he has met 
with black lawmakers and proposed programs, such as his civil society 
initiative, that would benefit poor minorities.

Bush, whose private school voucher proposal has drawn criticism from public 
school advocates, said he visited Nalle Elementary, a 450-student public 
school, to keep the spotlight on District schools. "I think it's important 
for the capital to stay focused on public education, public education 
reforms," he said.

Bush, accompanied by Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige and D.C. school 
Superintendent Paul L. Vance, sat on a chair at the front of the yellow 
concrete block room and told the 20 third grade children sitting on the 
floor in front of him: "If you can't read, it's going to be hard to realize 
dreams, it's going to be hard to go to college."

Posters celebrating February as Black History Month were taped on the 
walls, and Bush noted to the entirely African American group of students 
"what's important about Black History Month is to read about different 
heroes who have made a difference in making history, and to realize there 
are fantastic role models."

Bush put on a pair of black-framed glasses and read from "More Than 
Anything Else," a book by Marie Bradby about the young Booker T. 
Washington. After finishing, Bush turned to reporters and camera crews at 
the back of the classroom and took questions on a range of subjects, 
including racial profiling.

Also yesterday, Bush continued to introduce himself to world leaders by 
telephone. He spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato and King 
Mohammed VI of Morocco before heading to Camp David for the weekend.
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