Blacks, Natives, Hispanics most likely to be arrested in traffic stops

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Blacks were more likely than people of other races to be arrested after a traffic stop in Nebraska in 2007, according to a state report of racial profiling that showed few overall changes from the previous year.

Although 4.5 percent of all drivers were arrested after stops, 20 percent of blacks that were stopped were arrested, said the report released Wednesday by the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

Among other races, 10 percent of American Indians and 8.9 percent of Hispanics were arrested after traffic stops. Asians (2.1 percent) and whites (3.1 percent) were least likely to be arrested but were most likely to receive written warnings.

The commission’s findings were drawn from a summary of data on more than 460,000 arrests last year.

The commission noted that the number of Nebraska State Patrol stops involving Asian, black and Hispanic drivers was lower than the proportion of those groups in the general population, a first-time finding that executive director Michael Behm called “encouraging.”

“I think that’s pretty good news for an agency who makes that many traffic stops during one year,” said Behm, who noted the state patrol makes one-third of all traffic stops in the state.

There were 11 allegations of racial profiling reported to the state from two agencies, the same as in 2006 but down from 17 in 2002. Last year’s published report listed only three allegations, but eight more for 2006 were reported after the report’s release, Behm said.

Nebraska police agencies are required to collect racial profiling data under legislation that banned such profiling by police officers.

Agency participation in the report declined for the fourth straight year, with 182 agencies submitting numbers for 2007, compared with 194 in 2006 and 237 in 2002. Not all agencies reported numbers for each quarter of last year, the report said.

Each report must include the number of stops, the race or ethnicity of the person stopped, the nature of the alleged violation and whether a warning or citation was issued.
Among the report’s other findings for 2007:

• Hispanics and American Indians were about twice as likely to be searched as part of a traffic stop compared with the general population.

• Hispanics made up 30 percent of the population in Dawson County but 44 percent of all traffic stops there.

• Law enforcement agencies in Lancaster County stopped black drivers in about 24 percent of all stops, about twice the proportion of blacks in the county population.

• Whites in Thurston County made up 43 percent of the population but 49 percent of the stops.

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http://www.nol.org/home/crimecom/Documents.htm