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·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."
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."