(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and other schools say Chicago's police department needs to change, after a new study suggesting racial bias in traffic stops.
Researchers say this study includes a new level of detail. It analyzes traffic stops and citations based on the demographics of drivers actually on the road, rather than the makeup of the neighborhood nearby.
It was conducted by researchers from University of Sydney, Cornell University, Rutgers University as well.
The study found that on a street with an even 50-50 split of Black and white drivers, Black drivers made up about 70% of police stops and 54% of speed camera tickets.
Researchers say this adds to the large pile of data that suggests racial bias but is "the first time that we’ve had such a granular, block-by-block understanding" of what bias looks like traffic enforcement.
Additionally, these traffic stops appear to mirror stop-and-frisk policies criticized for systemic racial bias.
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