So Miami had a study on the racial profiling of Miami-Dade motorists by county cops. Except after the 217 page study was done, the city did not want to release it. Threats by "that damn ACLU" and badgering of a local paper finally made them release it.
A review of the 217-page study offered no clear explanation for the department's intransigence. The report found, in general, there was little correlation between a motorist's race and his or her being stopped by an officer. A few officers did disproportionately stop and search black drivers, but officers mostly were stopping people based on behavior rather than appearance.
But the study clearly showed that after drivers were stopped, there were differences in how individuals were treated. Black motorists were more likely to be searched than whites or Hispanics, although they were much less likely to be found with contraband during searches. Blacks were twice as likely as whites or Hispanics to be arrested following a traffic stop, partially owing to outstanding warrants. Blacks also were more likely to be issued citations, to have their records checked, and to have their cars towed.
The police department held a press conference May 2, trotting out Geoffrey Alpert and Robert Parker to answer questions about the report. Parker was asked repeatedly why his department hadn't released the study this past November, after Alpert submitted it. He admitted nothing had changed in the five months it sat on the shelf, but was otherwise vague. "The good news is there is no smoking gun of racial profiling," he said. "Had there been an urgent issue in the report, I would have made an issue of releasing it sooner.... Perhaps the media pushing us to release it is a good thing -- and you can quote me on that."
Hmm...so it's o.k. that Blacks also were more likely to be issued citations, to have their records checked, and to have their cars towed? And they wonder why so many of us walk around pissed...
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