An annual release of data compiled by the state shows that black drivers in Columbia continue to be pulled over at higher rates than white drivers.
A closer look by Empower Missouri’s Human Rights Task Force points to inconsistencies in the overall data and suggests ways police can better implement bias-free policing.
The new report from Empower Missouri — a citizen group advocating for equitable and fair treatment of Missourians — says more data is needed to determine how large a factor racial bias is in the disparities. The report released last week rules out the idea that the population numbers used to compile the data are inaccurate and says drivers of all racial groups commit offenses at similar rates.
The report, written by Don Love, co-chair of the Empower Missouri Human Rights Task Force, uses benchmarks from the 2017 Vehicle Stops Report provided by the state to calculate rates of disparity by race and different reasons motorists are pulled over.
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