Author Topic: New reports show Austin police use force at traffic stops much more often than other agencies  (Read 653 times)

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Online Elderberry

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Grits for Breakfast 3/9/2019

Austin police are more likely to use injury-causing force against drivers they pull over than any other large Texas jurisdiction, according to new "racial profiling" data reports out this month from law-enforcement agencies around the state. Go here to look up reports from various departments, which agencies were required to submit to the state by March 1st.

These are called "racial profiling" reports because documenting racial discrimination was their original purpose when they were mandated in 2001. But really, they're the most detailed description we have of police activities at Texas traffic stops, lots of interesting patterns and trends in addition to (still extant) racial disparities.

Indeed, thanks to state Sen. John Whitmire and Rep. Garnet expanding data collection in 2017 as part of the Sandra Bland Act, Texas now has MUCH more information about law enforcement activities at traffic stops in Texas, including new information about use of force at stops, how many people are arrested on outstanding warrants, and how many people are arrested for Class C misdemeanors. This is the first round of reports with the new data elements included.

Most media coverage of these reports so far has focused on racial disparities in traffic stops and searches. But Grits thought it worthwhile to focus on the new data reported. Grits created a spreadsheet with info from 4.6 million traffic stops from 38 of the largest Texas jurisdictions, calculating the rate of use of force, arrests for Class C misdemeanors, and arrests for outstanding warrants. (Among the largest jurisdictions, Fort Worth PD has not yet submitted a report.)

The reports evidenced wide variation among agencies. Let's start with use-of-force rates at traffic stops.


More: http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2019/03/new-reports-show-austin-police-use.html



Online Wingnut

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This is not surprising based on my interaction with APD.  During the screening of applicants they they look for the biggest ass holes and hire them.
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Offline austingirl

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