Black Missouri Drivers Stopped 75% More

A new report released Monday revealed that Missouri police were 75 percent more likely to make traffic stops for black drivers than white drivers and 73 percent more likely to search black drivers last year. The study, released by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, also found that though black drivers were more likely to be stopped and searched, they were less likely to be found with contraband than whites. The data revealed that 21 percent of blacks who were stopped possessed contraband compared to the nearly 27 percent of whites who did. The study underscores the biggest racial disparity in traffic stops since the state began keeping records in 2000. Koster called the data “a starting point” for conversations on addressing how to fix racial disparities in police practices.