Race Continues To Matter In Missouri Traffic Stops

Attorney General Jay Nixon has released a report showing black motorists in Missouri were more likely than drivers of other races to be pulled over for traffic stops. According to Nixon, the rate of traffic stops for blacks grew slightly last year, but the overall racial breakdowns of drivers who are stopped, searched, and arrested remained consistent from 2001 to last year. The report finds black drivers were 40-percent more likely than whites to be pulled over last year. The 2001 report said blacks were 35-percent more likely to be pulled over. Nixon can’t explain the increase or say whether it means anything, but he does say the continuing confirmation of what some have called “Driving While Black” is of deep concern.