Recently, the Nebraska Crime Commission released its annual report on potential racial profiling and while the results remained similar to every year since it began in 2002, the number of complaints has risen. While the numbers indicate that racial profiling occurs the report stops short of calling it such, saying, "We cannot say definitively whether there is or is not racial bias in traffic stops. We can only point to seeming disproportionality."
In the two most populous counties in the Nebraska, Douglas and Lancaster, black drivers are pulled over by police at a rate of almost double their percentage of the population. In Douglas County 20.8 percent of traffic stops were of black drivers where they represent of 11.7 percent of the population. Traffic stops of black drivers in Lancaster County accounted for 7.6 percent of all stops vs. 3.2 percent of the population.
The racial disparity continues when looking at arrests made during traffic stops. 13.1 percent of black drivers were arrested and taken to jail after traffic stops, compared with 6.5 percent of Hispanics, 8.4 percent of Native Americans and 2.5 percent of whites.
Interestingly, Lincoln Police Chief Tom Cassady attributes this disparity to "existing racial disparity in outstanding arrest warrants," which only seems to point to other prejudiced elements in our system. There may be some disparities between how Cassady and the Nebraska Crime Commission see things.
Minorities were also more likely to be subjected to a search of their vehicle when stopped. Searches occurred in 3.1 percent of all traffic stops statewide, with higher searches for Hispanics (6.3 percent), blacks (5.1 percent) and Natives Americans (7.5 percent).
2009 Traffic Stops in Nebraska Report
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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Sadly, this is not surprising. We have begun to comment on the road home of the number of minorities stopped along Vine. Maybe there is something else going on, such as the disparity in arrest warrants. Still, I think Brian brings up a good point as he questions the disproportionate number of minority drivers pulled over compared to their proportion of the population. I suppose the next question could be what must be done about this? Raising awareness is clearly key, but is there anything else that can be done? Is there a problem for someone interested in human rights to comment on the proportion of black drivers pulled over who only spreads awareness? How ought we to get involved?
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