Study Shows Minorities More Likely to be Searched in City Than Suburbs

In an article published in today's Chicago Tribune, it was revealed that minority motorists in Chicago are about five times more likely than whites to be asked for a consent to search their vehicles. The study was conducted by the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety. This study showed that overall, minorities are about three times more likely than whites to be asked to consent to such a search. However, the same study showed that it was more likely that illegal items would be found in searches of whites' vehicles.

This same study also showed that the number of stops in Chicago are on the decline. Since 2004, traffic stops are down about 40% for minorities and 30% for whites. This decline can be attributed to the Chicago police focusing more on gangs, guns and drugs. More than two-thirds of those stopped were minorities, a much higher percentage than the percentage of minority drivers in the city.

The same study further showed that minorities are more likely to be stopped in the suburbs but the disparity is not as pronounced as it is in the city.

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