LAWRENCE - Two wrists are handcuffed together. The palm of one hand holds a police badge.

That is the image on a flier announcing an April meeting of American Civil Liberties Union representatives to discuss police brutality.

"Is there or isn't there police abuse in Lawrence?" the flier asks in Spanish.

The ACLU did not print the flier. However, ACLU field organizer Brian Corr said there will be a meeting April 18 to discuss a grass-roots attempt to develop a local activist group. Corr said the meeting will discuss racial profiling.

"We'll be providing some information about what is racial profiling and what people can do," Corr said. "There will be a presentation around the issues people are facing in general in the country around racial profiling."

Police Chief John Romero said he was not aware of the meeting and will not discourage public discussion about the Police Department. But he said the best way to address allegations of police brutality is through the Lawrence police.

"Every complaint of police misconduct is thoroughly investigated by our department, through our internal affairs unit," Romero said. "If any person has a complaint about the manner in which he or she was treated by a Lawrence police officer, we encourage that person to submit the complaint in writing to the department.

"Given the responsibilities of police officers, which include the arrest of individuals accused of committing crimes, people are frequently unhappy following their interactions with members of the department," Romero said. "That goes with the job. But as I've said before, if there is an allegation of misconduct, I want to know about it. It will be investigated."

Romero said he will not attend the meeting, but added he and the internal affairs division meet regularly with a city human-rights commission.

Corr said he was contacted a few months ago by Persio Acevedo, a Lawrence resident interested in bringing the ACLU to the area. Acevedo's name and phone number are on the flier. He could not be reached for comment.

The meeting is an exploratory discussion, Corr said. It could lead to the formation of a "civil liberties task force," he said. The ACLU currently runs task forces in Cambridge, Everett and western Massachusetts. Those groups explore a range of civil-liberties issues, he said.

No single event triggered the scheduling of the meeting, Corr said.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 18 at Casa Dominicana, 225 Essex St., on the second floor.