The American Civil Liberties Union wants to replace a court-appointed monitor assigned to ensure the Hobbs Police Department complies with the settlement of a 1999 racial discrimination lawsuit. ACLU attorneys this week filed a motion in federal court in Santa Fe seeking to remove Clarence Chapman, police chief for the University of California at Los Angeles, as monitor of a stipulated agreement with Hobbs police. The stipulated agreement stemmed from a 1999 class action lawsuit, filed on behalf of Hobbs' black residents, that alleged blacks were subjected to excessive force, warrantless searches and false charges. The settlement, signed in June 2001, required the Hobbs Police Department to improve internal reporting procedures, the investigation of officer misconduct, training and disciplinary procedures. In addition, Hobbs police agreed to collect racial data on arrests, searches, field stops for questioning, and incidents in which police used force on civilians. ACLU attorneys Richard Rosenstock and Daniel Yohalem argue that police data show the disparate treatment of black Hobbs residents has "grown, not lessened" since the settlement was signed.