This law is meant to draw attention to the issue of racial profiling. The Columbia Police Department made 4,480 traffic stops from September 1 to December 31, 2000. However, raw numbers alone don t tell the whole story. The fact is, we have more officers assigned to Beats 50 and 55 than any other beats in the community. This is because our calls for service and complaints of criminal activity are highest in those beats.
More officers mean more traffic stops.
Since these beats have a high African American population, more blacks are stopped in these areas. Looking at our traffic stop data geographically, it shows that a high percentage of traffic stops occur in Beats 50 and 55 along with Sister Beat 00. Let me assure you that I do not condone, nor would I tolerate, racial profiling. Our supervisors give a great deal of attention to the review of our officers traffic stops and summons. We also investigate all citizen complaints.