[Guest]

BOSTON (AP) — A study has found that nearly three out of four Massachusetts police departments engaged in racial profiling of minority drivers, prompting the state to launch a probe.
The Northeastern University study, released Tuesday, was commissioned four years ago by the Legislature and included 366 departments — from cities and towns and the state police, to university, state transit and Amtrak police agencies. Just 92 got a passing grade.

Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn warned against condemning departments that failed until more information can be gathered. The study caused the state to order 249 departments to collect a year's worth of data on all traffic stops.

"We are not today finding any agency guilty of having engaged in racial profiling," he said. "Data collection is not punishment."

Flynn said requiring agencies to collect more data will provide a clearer picture of racial profiling in Massachusetts.

"Every community deserves an explanation from its police department on how it uses its authority," Flynn said.

Northeastern used four statistical tests in analyzing 1.6 million traffic citations issued between April 1, 2001, and June 30, 2003: Ticketing resident minorities disproportionately more than whites; ticketing all minorities disproportionately more than whites; searching minorities more often than whites; and issuing warnings to whites more often than minorities.

According to the study, 15 police departments failed all four tests, 42 failed three tests, 87 failed two tests and 105 failed one. Among those that failed all four were Boston, Springfield and Worcester.

The Executive Office of Public Safety will use $1 million in grant money over the next six months to set up a uniform system for all police departments to report traffic stops, including those that do not result in any citations or written warnings. That information will be gathered over another year, then analyzed again.

Jack Collins, general counsel for the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association, said the added paperwork is a "witch hunt" and unnecessary.

Bishop Filipe Teixeira, a Catholic bishop from Brockton, said he's heard complaints in his community about minorities being targeted.

"We do have bad apples in the police departments," Teixeira said. "We have enough data. Let's get into action."

 

[GD]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

I am a graduate of Northeastern University but it is starting to become aggravating with this study. Not only are they making money from Massachusetts but Rhode Island too. Study after study, I am starting to feel like scientific project.

 

[Guest]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

Boston, Springfield and Worcester. There are huge sections of these cities where you can't even find a white person. There are periods where I work in mostly white areas and they get all the citations. Did Northeastern create a section showing whites are getting cited too much?

 

[Gil]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

Public Safety Secretary Edward A. Flynn warned against condemning departments that failed until more information can be gathered. The study caused the state to order 249 departments to collect a year's worth of data on all traffic stops.

What's chapter 90 again???? 8) Maybe a good time to study it again, just a little refresher course, say maybe for a year or so.....

 

[mpd61]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

Oh COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!
:shock:
Are any of us really surprised "they" reached this conclusion? We have been discussing the flawed parameters off this "study" since last year.
:roll:

 

[PBC FL Cop]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

What a waste of time and money!!!!

 

[frapmpd24]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

So soon paperwork will have to be filled out for issuing a verbal warning :shock:. One of two things will happen there... you get stopped and it is most likely a gig, if there is writing involved might as well do it on a citation or alot less traffic enforcement to avoid writing forms for verbals (which defeats the purpose). Whats next, a probable cause sheet submitted before stopping the car? Its non-sense, if there is a violation than it should end there with the stop.

I would suspect there is alot less profiling than the study suggests, they are going simply on numbers and not looking at other factors such as the type of roads that go through the town (country roads vs. highways), does the small town with small percentage of minorities boarder a larger city. These factors do have an effect on the commuter population traveling through town.

 

[ROBOCOP1982]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

"There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics."

 

[topcop14]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

I looked at my departments data and we passed according to the state. I think we failed. The data shows that white males are ticketed at a higher rate then the population. I wounder why there is no out cry against that :evil:

 

[Guest]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

I looked at my departments data and we passed according to the state. I think we failed. The data shows that white males are ticketed at a higher rate then the population. I wounder why there is no out cry against that :evil:

Golleee!!
Out heere in da hills we don't hardly evah see dem type o' folks on a vee-hickle stop! What all da fuss bout? I know, dem damn colleg-pukes needing ta spend mo' tax money
:321:

 

[2-Delta]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

It couldn't possibly be those in question who are just committing more initial traffic violations could it? No no, it must be a racial thing. P:

 

[frapmpd24]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

It couldn't possibly be those in question who are just committing more initial traffic violations could it? No no, it must be a racial thing. P:

Ofcourse, nobody ever commits any violations...so many people take the attititude that they are the victim of circumstance and part of a group being profiled. Racial accusations, when done to try to weasel out of a violation, are just a bitter attempt to sway their argument. File a complaint against the officer trying to earn a decent/respectable living instead of accepting responsibility. Regardless of skin color, there are not alot of people who take responsibility for their actions/violations. I believe that is a big part of the problem.

 

[bbelichick]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

I recently was patrolling in my home town when I observed a vehicle speeding and confirmed it on Radar. I reversed direction, and I saw the car's brake lights flare, then the car sped up and boogied on me. I was able to catch up with it because he took a turn into a neighborhood I grew up in . He was lost; I wasn't.

Long story short, he had NO CLUE where he was but claimed he was visiting a friend, despite not knowing where the friend lived or even the general area of the city his "friend" resided in.

I issued him a Cite for 90-17 and as I was explaining his obligations, he spat out "I want your badge number. You are just stopping me because I am a black man in a white neighborhood." Mind you, this was at 11:00 pm and we were passing each other at a combined speed of about 90 mph.

My jaw dropped, and I informed him that the initial reason for stop was in an industrial zone, and the only reason we were even in said neighborhood was because he fled from me. I further advised him that he could very well be under arrest for 90-25. That seemed to shock him a bit, but he still denied even seeing me. :roll:

I kicked him loose, and began formulating the text of my To-From.

The next night, he stopped into my place of work and left a note for me with the Evening Shift...Apologizing for the false accusation, and admitting he had fled in hopes of getting away.:shock:

Now just imagine if he had filed a bogus complaint or gone to the Newspaper...I would certainly have been "Guilty Until Proven Innocent." Even if you are Exonerated, you still would have a "Profiling" Charge on your Departmental Record.

 

[spdawg0734]

Just a note to let you know how automatic this excuse is, a long time ago, I while on patrol in the day time on Rt 95 Walpole stopped a car doing 85, I approached the driver asked for his lic and reg, told him why he was being stopped, walked back and wrote a ticket. Walked back and gave him his ticket. The driver then looks up and says to me you only stopped me because I am black... I had to stop, look right in his face and told him look at me [email protected]@@hole... I am darker than you.. you want my name and he had no idea what to say, he did not even bother to look at me before making the statement. Of course, I am black, now I have experienced in my lifetime some bouts of racist, but I have dealt with it head on and moved on. However this crap of using it as a crutch for every little thing is really getting to me. More so when management quickly folds to any [email protected]#% complaint.

 

[Gil]

I had to stop, look right in his face and told him look at me [email protected]@@hole... I am darker than you.. you want my name and he had no idea what to say, he did not even bother to look at me before making the statement. Of course, I am black, now I have experienced in my lifetime some bouts of racist, but I have dealt with it head on and moved on. However this crap of using it as a crutch for every little thing is really getting to me. More so when management quickly folds to any [email protected]#% complaint.

lol :lol: that's a good one, the only profiling I do is with Rhode Island plates...that's because half the time the Mass RMV is down, so I run plates with a working RMV. :wink:

 

[MVS]

I think this study needs more disection... If I were a black or hispanic Cop and 98% of my written citations were for "White" operators, shouldn't I be considered a "racial profiler"? This study is an absolute joke and a waste of money. There are too many variables for this to have any legitimate basis. It's unfortunate that such an inaccurate study will have a negative impact on LE in mass.
As it already is, the courts have us under a microscope and have created redundant paperwork/procedures that make our jobs more difficult and less productive as it has become so time consuming completing the various court required forms/info.
A bit off topic, but...Referring to the recent article about less OUI arrests, I think its safe to say that the time consuming process is what reduces the amount of OUI arrests. The time taken to book, process (test), and complete the report and forms keeps us from getting back on the road to grab another.

 

[Guest]

Re: Mass. to track all traffic stops after study finds profi

Chapter 228 requires the Executive Office of Public Safety to work with the Department of State Police and municipal police departments to ensure that adequate efforts are being made to identify and eliminate any instances of racial and gender profiling by police officers. In addition to data collection, chapter 228 provides for in-service and pre-service training as well as a public awareness campaign on racial and gender profiling. As part of the legislation, a toll-free hotline was also created for motorists to register complaints of alleged racial profiling. Two jurisdictions are also collecting data voluntarily in Massachusetts.

Legislation
Chapter 228 of the Acts of 2000, An Act Providing for the Collection of Data Relative to Traffic Stops
Status: Enacted July 10, 2000 ; Effective April 01, 2001
all jurisdictions required to collect data
Scope of Collection: citations only
Restrictions: citations only
Data Collection Dates: April 01, 2001 through March 31, 2002
Data Collected: race, gender, action taken, warning given, citation given, arrest made, personal search conducted, search of vehicle conducted, contraband found
Other Information: Chapter 228 requires all departments of the state police and the Massachusetts Police Chiefs of Police Association to develop policies and procedures on how to identify and prevent racial and gender profiling by police officers. The policies have to be approved by the Executive Office of Public Safety. The collection consists of information pertaining to the identifying characteristics of the individuals who receive a warning or citation or who are arrested. The Executive Office of Public Safety must initiate a public awareness campaign on racial and gender profiling, including a toll-free complaint line. The Registry of Motor Vehicle shall collect the data, shall maintain and report the statistical information monthly to the Secretary of Public Safety, and an annual report shall be presented to the Attorney General, the Department of State, the Massachusetts Police Chiefs Association, the Executive Office of Public Safety, and the clerks of the House of Representatives and the Senate