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Racial Profiling: New Statistics Show No Changes The new statistics look almost identical to previous years: Even though African Americans represent roughly 7% of Portland's population, they make up 14% of those who are stopped in cars, and a whopping 24% of those stopped on foot or on bicycle. They also make up 21-30% of those searched even though the percentage of times something is found when African Americans are searched isn't significantly different from the average (24% nothing found in cars vs. average 25%, 35% of pedestrians vs. average 37%). Latinos are less likely to have contraband than other drivers with 31% of searches turning up nothing, with Asian Americans the least likely pedestrians to have anything illegal, at 48%. About 50% of African American, Native American and Latino pedestrians are searched while only 39% of Caucasians are searched; in cars it's about 25% for the same people of color, while "whites" are only searched 13% of the time. When the RPC held its retreat in mid-June, at first it was to be closed to the press and the public, but after an inquiry from the Portland Mercury's attorney, the meeting was opened up (Mercury, June 5). After hours of trust exercises, documentary screenings, and brainstorming, the group voted to work on: (1) the "hit rate"--or how frequently people who are stopped and searched actually produce contraband; (2) creating more arenas for officers and citizens to speak with one another; and (3) creating a culture of professionalism and respect in the Bureau (though the facilitator, Kristin Lensen, keeps insisting on referring to it as "customer service," we pointed out that most people stopped by police are not "customers" who called for their help). We raised concerns that Chief Sizer's plans to end racial profiling, which were outlined verbally but not in writing earlier this year, will get lost in the shuffle along with the analysis of all the statistics. Portland Copwatch offered up a list of what other data to collect, based on input to the RPC from members of the Oregon state data collection committee and the PPA's report. We were told by Chief Sizer that due to technology issues, changes can't be made for several years. The PPA is demanding that their report be implemented in whole. In their June newsletter, the Rap Sheet, editor/Detective Peter Simpson said that the data should never have been released and no dialogue should occur until their recommendations are made in full. We want to remind Simpson that their expert, Dr. Brian Withrow, called for data to be examined down to the individual officer level. We can support that idea. Det. Robert King, the PPA President, has not returned to the committee since the report was presented. He refers to the RPC as the "Race Profiling Committee" in both the May and July Rap Sheets. This is part of their strategy to make it sound as though those who question the out-of- balance data are calling the officers racist, rather than questioning whether the cause of the discrepancy is some kind of unconscious bias. King repeats the mantra that the police stop more African American drivers at night (9% vs. 17%), so the opposite of racial profiling is happening: "We cannot know the race, we just cannot know that." However, he would be hard pressed to explain why 24% of pedestrian and bicycle stops are of African Americans, and only 63% of such stops are of Caucasians in a city that is 77% white. Is he going to say that due to Portland's overcast weather, officers can't see the race of pedestrians and bicyclists? King argues that all of the controversy has led officers to make fewer traffic stops--12,000 less in 2007 than 2006. But with the percentages of people of color stopped not changing, his argument does not advance the dialogue. Somehow, the work of the Committee has to break through and change his view: "We are not the problem, in fact in Portland neighborhoods we are a solution every time someone calls 911. It's time for people to stop blaming us for just doing our jobs."
The RPC's future is in question, with Mayor Potter leaving office in January and the Office of
Human Relations (OHR), now headed by former Latino Network Director Maria Lisa Johnson,
overseeing the RPC and the about-to-be-formed Human Rights Commission (HRC). The previous
incarnation of the HRC was dissolved in 1997 after it had promoted a stronger police review board
and opposed police spying, when Commissioners questioned the "role of advocacy in government"
(PPR #11). The new OHR and HRC barely squeaked
through budget cuts due to political
grandstanding by Council members. --In May, a study of Multnomah County jails showed that African Americans make up 27% of the jail population, compared to 7% of the general population, and that they stay an average of 30 days on a felony charge compared to white inmates who stay only 24 days (Portland Tribune, May 29). --A study by Human Rights Watch found that black men are 11.8 times more likely to end up in prison for drug charges, though most drug offenders are white (Reuters, May 6). --The Portland Citizen Review Committee's Bias Based Policing work group has looked at 60 sample cases including those alleging bias of race, gender, or other basis and "control cases" in which (a) the basic complaints were the same from white people to see whether cases are handled differently or (b) African American drivers complained but did not allege bias. They intend to put out an interim report later this year. --The LAPD dismissed all 320 complaints they received in 2007 of racial profiling, the sixth year in a row with no cases sustained (LA Times, April 30). --The New York Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the NY Police Department, saying they stop and frisk minority residents at disproportionate rates: About 50% of those stopped from 2004- 2007 were African American (27% of the population) and 30% were Latino (census does not show % of population), while only about 10% were white (44% of the population). 90% of the time the police do not issue tickets or make arrests. The case hinges on a black New York Post reporter who was stopped and arrested, though his charges were later dropped (New York Law Journal, May 8). --A study of shootings by the NYPD prior to when they stopped counting the race of citizens shot (though they report the breed of dogs shot) showed that until 1998, 90% of people shot at were black or Latino (NYCLU, May 5). |
September, 2008
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Portland Copwatch Portland Copwatch is a grassroots, volunteer organization promoting police accountability through citizen action.
People's Police Report
#45 Table of Contents
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