Vehicle Stop Reports, released annually by the Attorney General’s Office, reveal the dire state of racially biased policing in Missouri. According to the 2014 data, Black drivers were 1.75 times more likely to be stopped, 1.89 times more likely to be searched, and 1.84 times more likely to be arrested than white drivers. However, police discovered contraband in the vehicles of white drivers 1.26 times more frequently than in those of Black drivers. The trend is indisputable and disheartening, and it also only reveals the tip of the iceberg.
Firstly, police doubt the validity of the metric used to analyze and interpret these findings; presently, the demographics of the residential population serve as the benchmark against which the Attorney General’s office weighs policing statistics to scan for bias. However, officers argue that the demographics of thedrivingpopulation should replace this measuring scale in order to account for passers-through and to ensure that accurate data informs policy changes. Secondly, Michael Brown was killed during apedestrianencounter, a type of stop for which police are currently not required to report data. Reporting is only mandated for vehicular stops.
SB 976 (Nasheed – D), the Fair & Impartial Policing Act, takes a holistic approach to addressing each of these concerns. Clarifying the standards to which police officers must conform when conducting a search, the bill outlines the necessity of obtaining voluntary consent, of thoroughly documenting the circumstances of each search, and of undergoing mandatory trainings on unbiased policing. SB 976 also creates reactive provisions; for example, it mandates that departments whose data suggest bias issues be reviewed by the attorney general’s office. This accountability measure, in conjunction with the bill’s proposed adjustment of the metric from residential to driver demographics, aims to ensure equitable policing practices – and equitable evaluations of those practices – for officers and citizens alike.
The growing mistrust between police officers and citizens does nothing to enhance the safety of our community. SB 976 echoes voices from all sides of the issue, adjusting law enforcement practices in order to mirror the needs and desires of Missourians. Ask your senator to sign on to SB 976 to ensure that law enforcement serves as a safe and viable resource for Missourians of all identities.
You can find your senator here:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/default.aspx/leg_lookup.aspx
Sarah Nesbitt, ACLU Public Policy Intern