Black motorists more likely to face force

An estimated 19 percent of Americans can expect a face-to-face encounter with a police officer for one reason or another in a year. However, blacks are more likely to face the use of police force, while Hispanics are somewhat less and whites even less likely to face force, according to a new federal study.

A study released today by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics says white, black and Hispanic motorists were pulled over by police officers at similar rates.

However, 9.5 percent of black motorists were searched, compared to 8.8 percent of Hispanic motorists and 3.6 percent of white motorists.

The survey also noted that male drivers were pulled over at higher rates than females, as were drivers under 30 as compared to drivers over 30.

In overall contact with police, the use of police force was reported at almost twice the rate for blacks compared to Hispanics and almost four times the rate for blacks as whites.

Four out of five people who experienced force felt it was excessive, with about 15 percent of those reporting they were injured. Some 17 percent who said they experienced police force reported they had done something to provoke the officer.

The survey is similar to one released in 2002, which also found that white, black and Hispanic drivers were pulled over at similar rates. The 2002 report found that once stopped, Hispanic and black drivers were more likely to be handcuffed than white drivers.

The issue of racial profiling has been a topic of interest with the Utah Legislature. This past session, the Legislature approved $45,000 for the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice to survey Utah residents regarding police contact.

Chris Mitchell, director of research for CCJJ, said her office plans to follow a model similar to the Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2002 and 2005 surveys. The telephone survey, which is expected to be conducted over the summer, will ask residents their race and ask them about any experience they may have had with traffic stops, force, arrests and handcuffing by police.

Mitchell said she expects the findings of the Utah survey will be presented to the Legislature by next fall.

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