Report: Black Missouri drivers 91% more likely to be stopped
Posted Jun 10, 2019 01:10:57 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A new report shows that black drivers in Missouri are 91% more likely than white motorists to be pulled over by police.
Data released by the attorney general show disparities are sometimes even greater when only comparing stops of local residents.
The 2018 report comes nearly five years after Ferguson protesters drew national attention to longstanding concerns about police treatment of black communities.
Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld cautioned that the latest data is based on population data from the 2010 Census, but says changes in racial demographics don’t alone explain the disparity increase.
Missouri Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Kevin Merritt says law enforcement officials have no tolerance for racial bias. But he says law enforcement want to collect more information, including whether officers knew the race of the driver before stopping them.
Summer Ballentine, The Associated Press
