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Just days before suing the Tiverton Police Department for unlawfully arresting an 8-year-old student without cause last week, the ACLU of Rhode Island sharply criticized the Barrington Police Department for “an unconscionable use of law enforcement authority” in bringing criminal charges against children as young as 12 years old for violations of state “social media” laws. These recent incidents, the ACLU said, show an increasing trend towards punishing rather than teaching Rhode Island’s youth.

The ACLU said today it will ask state legislators to amend the open records law to require police departments to release arrest reports within 48 hours of a request for the information. The call follows the death of South Kingstown resident Bruce Chappell on Tuesday after being arrested by North Kingstown police. Police officials have refused to release copies of the report of his arrest, citing a provision in the open records law giving public agencies up to ten days to respond to requests for public information.

The ACLU has called for an independent Congressional investigation into allegations that U.S. Army officials ordered a “psychological operations” (psyops) unit to manipulate members of Congress visiting Afghanistan, including Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, in an attempt to influence their decisions regarding increased support and funding of the war there.  In a four-page letter sent to members of Congress, Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU’s Washington legislative office, said that the operation, if true, “was conducted in direct violation of U.S. law and Department of Defense (DoD) policy, and represents an affront to core democratic principles of civilian control over the military.”

In a letter to Police Chief Hugh Clements, Jr., the ACLU of RI sharply criticized the Providence Police for filing felony charges against three Rhode Islanders who allegedly threw white paint at a boarded-up statue in the Elmwood section of the city.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island is urging the Pawtucket Police Department to conduct an in-depth examination of some of its policies and procedures in light of “disturbing” allegations of racism among its officers described in a recent news article.