Pubdate: Fri, 28 May 2004
Source: Columbia Missourian (MO)
Copyright: 2004 Columbia Missourian
Contact:  http://www.digmo.org/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2282
Author: Sarah Larimer, and Caleb Smith
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/racial.htm (Racial Issues)

DATA: BLACKS AT HIGHER RISK TO BE STOPPED

Some See Problems With The Disparity Of Numbers In Police Stops And Arrests
In Columbia.

[Sidebar] Police statistics on racial profiling Columbia Police Department:
Compared with whites, blacks are 142 percent more likely to be stopped.
Compared with whites, blacks are 183 percent more likely to be searched in a
traffic stop.Compared with whites, Hispanics are 98 percent more likely to
be searched. When compared with whites, blacks are 178 percent more
likely to be arrested in a traffic stop.When compared with whites, Hispanics
are 26 percent more likely to be arrested. Statewide : Compared with whites,
blacks are 40 percent more likely to be stopped. Compared with whites,
blacks are 80 percent more likely to be searched in a traffic stop.Compared
with whites, Hispanics are 99 percent more likely to be searched. When
compared with whites, blacks are 77 percent more likely to be arrested in a
traffic stop.When compared with whites, Hispanics are 82 percent more likely
to be arrested in a traffic stop. Source: Missouri Attorney General's
Office]

Ebony McTye said she doesn't need to see statistics on racial
profiling to convince her that it exists in Columbia.

Over three months, McTye said she was stopped and searched by members
of the Columbia Police Department six times. Each time, she said, the
officer found nothing. "That just bothers me," 25-year-old McTye said.
"I work as hard as the next person. There's no rule that says a black
person can't work as hard as a white person."

Considering they make up about 9.3 percent of the Columbia population
age 16 and older, blacks are being stopped, searched and arrested at a
disproportionately high rate, according to 2003 statistics released
Thursday by Attorney General Jay Nixon's office.

That doesn't surprise McTye, who said she thinks racial profiling
exists in the patrol practices of Columbia police. Nixon's office
defines racial profiling as "the inappropriate use of race by law
enforcement when making a decision to stop, search or arrest."

In his analysis of the report on traffic stops, Nixon emphasized that
statistical disproportion alone does not indicate racial profiling by
law enforcement officers. He also said that collecting the data has
inspired constructive dialogue between agencies and communities.
Columbia's numbers, which have been compiled and released annually for
four years and are based on the 2000 Census, show almost no change
from last year. Mary Ratliff, president of the Columbia branch of the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said the
Columbia Police Department needs a system to prevent racial profiling,
though she wasn't sure exactly what it was that needed to happen.

"Certainly I think that we have to take a hard, long look at those
stats, and yes, I think that we're going to have to do something to
stop it," Ratliff said.

Columbia Police Chief Randy Boehm said a high proportion of traffic
stops are made in Beat 50 and Beat 55, an area in the central city, or
the First Ward, with a high population of African Americans. More
officers are assigned there due to a high volume of calls for service,
he said. Boehm said that between 10 percent and 12 percent of Columbia
officers are African Americans. He said he thinks the force is
representative of the population of Columbia.

Dick Kurtenbach, executive director of the Kansas and Western Missouri
American Civil Liberties Union, said racial profiling is a problem
across Missouri. "Clearly, the problem persists. The overall disparity
is clearly present," Kurtenbach said. "It indicates there is more work
to be done." To eliminate racial profiling, he encourages more
training for law enforcement, additional work by advocacy groups and
local pressure on government officials. He considers the data
collection an important enforcement tool to eliminate racial
profiling, but it needs to be backed up with more action.

"At some point, we've got to say if the problem persists in the
numbers, this is not working," Kurtenbach said.

Missourian reporter Kate Moser contributed to this report.

Related story http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/story.php?ID=7622
- -- Few penalties for delaying racial data Related links
http://www.ago.missouri.gov -- 2003 report on Missouri traffic stops.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin