Minority drivers were pulled over for equipment violations, like burned-out taillights, at a higher rate than white drivers in several Connecticut towns in 2017. That’s the preliminary finding of a report by researchers at Central Connecticut State University.
Ken Barone, one of the Central Connecticut State University researchers, said the report finds there’s less racial disparity in towns where police departments focus on moving violations “like speeding, cell phone, traffic light, stop sign violations, racial disparities are very small to non-existent. And when motor vehicle enforcement starts to focus on those equipment and administrative offenses, racial disparities get fairly large.”
Barone was speaking at the December meeting of the state’s Racial Profiling Prohibition Advisory Board. He said the study focused on the towns of Ansonia, Berlin, Darien, Monroe, Newtown, Norwich and Ridgefield, which were identified in a statewide analysis of more than 90 police departments for having statistically significant disparities in police traffic stops.
He said the disparities do not constitute proof of racial profiling but justify taking a closer look.
Barone advised the towns to have a look at Hamden. He said over the past three years, that town has been able to significantly reduce racial disparities in traffic stops, reduce crime and reduce traffic accidents.
