How Widespread is the Racial Profiling Problem?
Law abiding people of color who have for years been subjected to harassing traffic stops by officers looking to uncover criminal activity are discovering that the practice is widely acknowledged, although played down by police. SB 1389 (Kevin Murray, D., Culver City) is the third bill in three years that sought to obtain data about traffic stops to verify whether racial characteristics of the driver are a factor in police activity. The measure has encountered stiff resistance from police and sheriffs who prefer to regard the problem as one of management and training. Governors Wilson and Davis both vetoed bills calling for “driving while black” statistical studies on grounds of cost, but the City of San Jose, in cooperation with ethnic community leadership, quickly came up with preliminary data. As is usually the case with statistical studies, San Jose’s data may raise as many questions as it answers. African-Americans and Latinos, comprising an estimated 35% of the overall population,
