Post by KC on Jun 6, 2006 21:39:51 GMT -5
Study: Police search minority drivers more often than whites
June 06, 2006 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Rhode Island police search vehicles driven by minorities about twice as often as whites, although whites are more likely to carry illegal contraband such as guns or drugs, according to a recent study.
Researchers from Northeastern University in Boston made the conclusion after reviewing reports from more than 288,000 traffic stops during the year ending Sept. 30, 2005. The study includes data from every Rhode Island municipal police department as well as the State Police.
The research effort follows up on a study four years ago that concluded minorities were searched about 2 1/2 times more than whites. That makes the most recent findings a slight improvement, according to some police officials.
"I'm going to say that I think there is some progress," said Warwick Police Chief Stephen McCartney, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Association of Police Chiefs. "I'm not here to say that by any stretch of the imagination that we think we're out of the woods on this."
But several civil rights advocates said the study proves a pattern of racial discrimination by police officers.
"It's painfully simple: It's racism," said Onna Moniz-John, East Providence's affirmative action officer. "They can't get beyond the fact that all of us are not criminals."
Amy Farrell, the study's principal author, said it's too early to judge whether police departments have successfully reduced racial disparities.
"There are some departments that have really done a lot, but still their numbers are somewhat problematic and there are other departments that haven't done diddly, and their numbers got better," she said. "That's a real mystery, and I think it will be frustrating to some chiefs."
During the study period, police searched about 6.7 percent of vehicles, or about 20,000 vehicles.
Warren police had the highest racial disparity, searching nonwhites about 3.4 times more often than whites, according to the study. Warren Police Chief Thomas Gordon called the results troubling.
Gordon said he's trained his officers on how to avoid racial profiling and required police supervisors to approve vehicle searches.
One study outlier was in Narragansett, where researchers didn't report a racial imbalance in vehicle searches. Narragansett police officers were also more likely to uncover illegal contraband when they did search cars than police officers elsewhere in the state.
Narragansett Police Chief J. David Smith said his officers must write a report every time they search a car, which forces officers to articulate their rationale for a search.
June 06, 2006 - PROVIDENCE, R.I. --Rhode Island police search vehicles driven by minorities about twice as often as whites, although whites are more likely to carry illegal contraband such as guns or drugs, according to a recent study.
Researchers from Northeastern University in Boston made the conclusion after reviewing reports from more than 288,000 traffic stops during the year ending Sept. 30, 2005. The study includes data from every Rhode Island municipal police department as well as the State Police.
The research effort follows up on a study four years ago that concluded minorities were searched about 2 1/2 times more than whites. That makes the most recent findings a slight improvement, according to some police officials.
"I'm going to say that I think there is some progress," said Warwick Police Chief Stephen McCartney, a spokesman for the Rhode Island Association of Police Chiefs. "I'm not here to say that by any stretch of the imagination that we think we're out of the woods on this."
But several civil rights advocates said the study proves a pattern of racial discrimination by police officers.
"It's painfully simple: It's racism," said Onna Moniz-John, East Providence's affirmative action officer. "They can't get beyond the fact that all of us are not criminals."
Amy Farrell, the study's principal author, said it's too early to judge whether police departments have successfully reduced racial disparities.
"There are some departments that have really done a lot, but still their numbers are somewhat problematic and there are other departments that haven't done diddly, and their numbers got better," she said. "That's a real mystery, and I think it will be frustrating to some chiefs."
During the study period, police searched about 6.7 percent of vehicles, or about 20,000 vehicles.
Warren police had the highest racial disparity, searching nonwhites about 3.4 times more often than whites, according to the study. Warren Police Chief Thomas Gordon called the results troubling.
Gordon said he's trained his officers on how to avoid racial profiling and required police supervisors to approve vehicle searches.
One study outlier was in Narragansett, where researchers didn't report a racial imbalance in vehicle searches. Narragansett police officers were also more likely to uncover illegal contraband when they did search cars than police officers elsewhere in the state.
Narragansett Police Chief J. David Smith said his officers must write a report every time they search a car, which forces officers to articulate their rationale for a search.