Crime & Safety
ACLU: State Police Traffic Stops Are Racially Biased
In 2009 Latino drivers were three times more likely to be subjected to a consent search than white drivers.
The Illinois branch of the American Civil Liberties Union has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Illinois state police for what it is calling a “dramatic” discrimination in traffic stop practices, according to an article in the Huffington Post.
Public data show that minority drivers are disproportionately targeted in “consent searches,” where police officers ask to search a vehicle without sufficient legal evidence.
According to the article, in 2009 Latino drivers were three times more likely to be subjected to a consent search than white drivers.
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A recent internal investigation was also completed in the McHenry County Sheriff's Office after accusations of deputies racially profiling people during traffic stops. Sheriff Keith Nygren was happy with the results of the investigation while the accuser, Zane Seipler, questioned the validity of the investigation.
For the complete story on the McHenry County Sheriff's investigation, see http://patch.com/A-jcQX.
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The complete Huffington Post article: ACLU: Illinois State Police Show Racial Bias in Traffic Stops.
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