GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A newly released study reveals black and Hispanic drivers were pulled over by Grand Rapids police at a higher rate when compared to other motorists.
The Traffic Stop Data Analysis, conducted by Lamberth Consulting, was released Tuesday as part of a 12-point plan to increase transparency in the Grand Rapids Police Department and improve relations between police and the community.
The study looked at 20 intersections throughout Grand Rapids during 2013, 2014 and 2015. The ethnicity of drivers at the intersections were determined by surveying on randomly selected days and times, according to a release from the city.
BLACK DRIVERS IN GRAND RAPIDS
The 100-page report found black drivers were 1.85 times more likely than other drivers to be stopped between 2013 and 2014. That’s up from 1.4 times in 2004.
However, the odds of a traffic stop involving black drivers climbed even higher in 2015, when they were twice as likely to be stopped.
Black drivers faced the worst odds at intersections on the city’s northwest side. African-American drivers were most likely to be stopped at Bridge and Stocking NW, where their odds of being pulled over were 2.77 times more likely than other drivers.
Leonard Street and Turner Avenue NW was the next worst intersection. Black drivers were 2.67 times more likely than other drivers to be stopped there.
The next worst trouble spot was a few blocks down the road. Black drivers at Alpine Avenue NW and Leonard Street NW were 2.37 times more likely to be stopped than their counterparts.
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