Police Search More Minorities’ Cars, Report Says

July 19, 2012 5:41 pm by: Brian Baresch

Austin police search proportionately more cars driven by blacks or Hispanics than whites, a report says. Photo by Nathan Bernier/KUT News

By Chip Skambis

Minorities, particularly blacks and Hispanics, are more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than whites, according to the Austin police monitor’s report for 2011.

Traffic stops involved a search 1 in 8 times for black drivers, 1 in 10 if they’re Hispanic. Whites are only searched 1 in 28 times.

But Police Monitor Margo Frasier says African-Americans are far more likely to file a formal complaint against an officer than Hispanics are.

“We often have people call and ask us and question whether or not if I complain, will I get in trouble, particularly out of the immigrant community,” Frasier said.

Police Chief Art Acevedo thinks those numbers are also attributable to the local NAACP helping African-Americans through the legal process. He also says that police pull over more people in high-crime areas.

“Folks are constantly lobbying for additional resources in the high-crime areas that tragically are really areas that are occupied in terms of residency by people of color, and so it should not come as a surprise that when that happens, we’re going to have many more contacts,” Acevedo said.

Acevedo says officers will soon require those asked for searches to provide written consent in order to make sure they understand their rights.