(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Legal experts say newly released data on traffic stops across Illinois include disappointing, but not surprising, data about the race of drivers who are pulled over.
“The nature of a traffic stop for most people is really frightening, but especially for drivers of color,” said Rachel Murphy, staff attorney for the ACLU of Illinois.
The organization has been studying the state’s 2020 traffic stop numbers. They show that, on average, Black drivers were nearly three times more likely to be pulled over for traffic offenses than white drivers.
“Each area has their own unique issues,” Murphy said of individual jurisdictions. “It’s up to the departments and the communities to dig in and understand what’s going on there and what needs to be changed.”
Waukegan was the state’s biggest problem spot, as identified by the ACLU. Black drivers were found to be 28 times more likely to be pulled over by police than white drivers.
“The fact that they’ve been stopped is harmful, and the fact that this happens at such higher rates to people of color is unacceptable,” Murphy said.
In Aurora, Black drivers are 11.5 times more likely to be stopped by police; Chicago, 7 times more likely; Rockford, 2.5 times more likely.
The data comes from a report issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation. All law enforcement officers in Illinois must record and report data about every motorist they stop, including the race of the motorist stopped, the reason for the stop and the outcome of the stop.
The law requiring the information was an initiative originally pushed by former President Barack Obama when he was an Illinois state senator.
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