A look at racial disparities in traffic stops across Virginia
JULIAN used data from the Virginia Community Policing Act (VCPA) and the methodology used in Moore to expand the statistical analysis across the entire state.
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A look at racial disparities in traffic stops across Virginia
In February, the judge in US v. Moore dismissed an indictment against a Black Richmond man after finding the city police department selectively enforced its traffic laws against Black Richmonders.
JULIAN used data from the Virginia Community Policing Act (VCPA) and the methodology used in Moore to expand the statistical analysis across the entire state.
The study found statistically significant racial disparities in 94 Virginia police departments, with 39 departments showing substantial disparities in three or more of the five tests performed.
“This data was essential to this case,” said Judge John Gibney, the judge in Moore. “It shows a disgraceful disparity in enforcement of traffic laws, with Black drivers getting the short end of the stick. Richmond is not the only locality with this problem; the state wide statistics show a remarkable record of picking on Black drivers. And subsequent reports by the Commonwealth show that the trend continues. One would think that Virginia's citizens would cry out in protest over this situation, but they don't.”
In over one-third of qualifying departments, Black people were more than twice as likely to be searched or arrested than White people during police stops.
