From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Help  

Failing to Provide Names and Addresses Would be Illegal

May 3, 2005
By: Bente Birkeland
State Capital Bureau
Links: HB353

Not telling a police officer your name could land you in jail.

Bente (Ben teh) Birkeland reports from Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

A bill would give police officers the authority to ask for certain information, like names and addresses, from people they suspect committed a crime. Refusing to answer could mean 15 days in the county jail. Rep. Scott Lipke, from Cape Girardeau is sponsoring the bill. He says he hopes it will help police officers arrest violent criminals and sex offenders.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents:

"We need to give our law enforcement the ability to question people and find out who they're dealing with, to try to stop those things from happening."

Opponents of the bill say it could lead to racial profiling, that targets African Americans.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland.

###

A top Democrat says a bill requiring people to give their names and addresses to police officers, would unfairly target African Americans.

Bente (BEN teh) Birkeland has more from Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

The bill would give police officers the authority to arrest people who fail to show them their driver's license. The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Scott Lipke from Cape Girardeau, says officers could only ask for identification from people they suspect committed a crime.

Democratic Senator Maida Coleman from St. Louis says she thinks police officers might abuse that power.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents:

"This gives a law enforcement officer another reason to pull a black or minority over just for them to produce identification."

Ignoring the officer's request, could lead to 15 days in the county jail.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland.

###

Refusing to give a police officer your name and address could lead to 15 days in the county jail. Bente Birkeland has more from Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

A bill would give police officers the power to request identification from people they suspect committed a crime. Democratic Senator Maida Coleman from St. Louis, says she thinks the bill goes too far.

Actuality:
RunTime:
OutCue:
Contents: coleman2

"Unless the police officer can prove the person was doing something illegal why put yet something else on the books to stifle the rights of our citizens."

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Scott Lipke from Cape Girardeau says it would help law enforcement catch violent criminals and sex offenders.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland

###