Prosecutor’s New Standards Called "Positive Step,"
"Vindication" By Triangle
Police Agencies Put on Notice to Follow the Lead
Triangle Foundation
Release, August 6, 2001
19641 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit, Michigan 48219-2721
Tel: 313-537-3323; Fax: 313-537-3379
Contact: Jeffrey Montgomery (313) 537-3323
Detroit — Triangle Foundation has called new
policies of the Wayne County Prosecutor relating to "sexual
misconduct" in public places, "a significant, positive step in the
right direction and a vindication of our longstanding effort to reform the
practices of law enforcement." The Prosecutor’s office issued specific
standards and clarifications of the policies dictating vehicle forfeitures and
charges such as "Indecent and Obscene Conduct,"
"Solicitation," and "Annoying Person."
Jeffrey Montgomery, Executive Director of Triangle Foundation, made the
following comments after reviewing the policy and new standards:
"Triangle Foundation and the gay community have won the first round in
the effort to reform police and prosecutorial behavior, and in the pursuit of
human rights and equality for gays in Detroit and Michigan.
"These policies are a significant, positive step in the right
direction and a vindication of the longstanding struggle of the Triangle
Foundation to correct the practices of law enforcement. These reforms are a
result of our campaign to expose abusive police practices, including ‘Bag a
Fag’ operations throughout the state. We are pleased with the guidelines
issued today by Mr. Duggan, and we support the Prosecutor to the extent that
what is on paper will be evident in the reality of enforcement by various
police agencies. The burden is now on agencies like the Detroit Police and
Wayne County Sheriff’s departments to carry through these very clear
directives.
"These new rules may have a positive effect in the future, but there
are still hundreds of men whose cases have resulted from past actions of the
police, in Detroit’s Rouge Park and elsewhere. Those cases will continue to
be monitored by Triangle, and legal relief for innocent citizens will be
aggressively pursued.
"As has been evident in recent hearings at Detroit City Council, and
during the years that Triangle Foundation has been fighting police profiling
of gay men, and abuse of power on the part of ‘gay-for-the-day’ decoy
operations, it is ultimately up to the police to be fair and treat citizens
fairly. The prosecutor seems to say today that rogue cops will no longer be
supported when it comes time to issue warrants if people’s rights have been
violated, or if the decoys have crossed the line of what is legal.
"We certainly take the Prosecutor at his word when he says that he is
committed to equal enforcement and that the same standards of justice must be
blind to the known or perceived sexual orientation of any citizen. We hope
that this enlightened approach will carry over to county and city police
agencies as well."
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