More Information
July 5, 2000
Salt Lake City officials say
they now have proof people
are being stopped and ticketed by police because they're
breaking the law, not because of the color of their
skin.
Stories about drivers pulled over based on race have
circulated for years.
But today, the Salt Lake Police
Department says it has proof it's not happening in Salt
Lake City. News Specialist Scott Light has the story.
Three months ago, Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson
directed the police department to record the race of
every person pulled over and ticketed.
Today, police
say there's proof officers are not profiling.
Mac Connole/Salt Lake Police Acting
Chief: "WHEN WE DEAL WITH PEOPLE.
WE DEAL WITH THEIR ACTIONS, NOT
BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE OR COLOR.
IT'S BECAUSE THEY'VE EITHER
COMMITTED A TRAFFIC VIOLATION, OR
BROKEN A LAW."
Based on school district enrollment numbers, Salt
Lake City is:
- 58% white
- 26% Hispanic
- 4% Asian
- 3% African-American
Those pulled over were:
- 66% white
- 19% Hispanic
- 2% Asian
- 5% African-American
Bill Shelton/Assistant Chief: "WE
DON'T HAVE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM OF
OFFICERS PROFILING. THAT DOESN'T
MEAN WE MIGHT NOT HAVE INDIVIDUALS
OFFICERS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH,
BUT IT MEANS THAT DEPARTMENT WIDE,
WE DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM."
Minority community leaders hail the study as a first
step.
Still, questions arose about whether the program
made officers so aware of profiling that they didn't do
it at all. And that could have skewed the numbers.
Theresa Martinez/University of Utah
Department of Sociology: "IT MIGHT
HAVE INFLUENCED OFFICERS TO HOLD
BACK OR TO WATCH THEIR BEHAVIOR.
THAT'S GOOD."
One goal of the program was to make officers more
aware. Mayor Anderson says the search is still on to
catch officers who profile.
Mayor Rocky Anderson: "NO ONE IS
GOING TO BE PULLED OVER SOLELY ON
THE BASIS OF THEIR RACE OF ETHNIC
ORIGIN AND IF IT OCCURS,
APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
WILL BE TAKEN."
Scott Light, Eyewitness News: "EVEN
THOUGH WHITES WERE PULLED OVER MORE
THAN OTHER RACIAL GROUPS, POLICE
SAY THEY WEREN'T TARGETED EITHER.
IT MAY BE THAT PERCENTAGE WISE IN
SALT LAKE CITY, WHITES OWN MORE
CARS AND OWN MORE DRIVER'S
LICENSES. SCOTT LIGHT, Eyewitness News, Salt Lake City."
Mayor Anderson is encouraging other cities in the
county start keeping track of the race of drivers they
stop and ticket.
