Do traffic cops discriminate?

AuthorFoote, Michael
PositionInstances of racial bias by traffic cops in traffic stops

Legislators are becoming concerned about allegations of racial discrimination in traffic stops. So some states are requiring backup information.

Legislatures in Connecticut and North Carolina have passed laws regarding the alleged police practice of "racial profiling," and at least 10 other states have introduced similar legislation this year.

"No person in this state or this country should ever have to worry about being pulled over by the police because of the color of his skin," says North Carolina Senator Frank Ballance Jr.

Popularly known as "driving while black or brown," racial profiling refers to police officers stopping motorists of color simply because they fit the "profile" of people who carry contraband, drugs or other illegal items. Whether this technique is widespread has been a topic of debate among law enforcement personnel, civil libertarians, minority groups and academicians.

North Carolina's new law mandates collection of information on each traffic stop, including race and gender of the drivers. It also requires documenting whether a search was performed, if consent was given for the search, whether contraband was found, if physical force was used and whether the stop resulted in a ticket or arrest. The information will help determine whether certain racial groups are being unfairly profiled in North Carolina, which contains part of the 1-95 corridor thought to serve as a major route for drug couriers.

Senator Ballance says he fully expects that the data will prove racial profiling does exist.

The Connecticut law is similar, requiring law enforcement agencies to collect information on race, gender, ethnicity and age of the drivers, the nature of the alleged violation, and circumstances surrounding the stops. Municipal police departments and the Department of Public Safety must adopt a written policy that prohibits stopping, detaining or searching a person when the action is motivated by race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. State funds may be withheld from departments not complying with the act. The punitive measure will "ensure that the issue is taken seriously," says Senator Alvin Penn who sponsored the legislation. "We need to confront this issue and move to correct it."

New Jersey is among other states reviewing racial issues in traffic stops. This follows an incident in which a routine traffic stop resulted in state troopers firing 11 shots into a rented van containing three African Americans and one Latino...

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