ACLU files suit against N.J. State Police

NEWARK, N.J. - The American Civil Liberties Union sued the New Jersey State Police on Monday in an attempt to get information on promotion policies.

The suit was filed on behalf of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, which describes itself as a coalition of community groups.

Its chairman is Richard Rivera, described as a retired police officer who filed the request under the state Open Public Records Act to "ensure that there is no disparate treatment of minorities" in the promotion process, according to the lawsuit.

Rivera's request was denied last month by the state police as being "improper and overbroad."

In the suit, the ACLU asserts that while state police are allowed to keep individual employment records private, they are not allowed to keep general information on policies from the public.

"The State Police is operating in virtual secrecy with no accountability to the public it serves," Rivera said in a statement. "The public has an interest and a right to know what types of policies determine why some officers get promoted, including whether those policies favor one racial or ethnic group over another."

The state Attorney General's Office declined to comment on the lawsuit.