LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) – The head of Michigan State Police is pledging to make changes after the release of an independent report finding that MSP troopers disproportionately pulled over Black drivers in 2020 traffic stops.
The report, commissioned by state police and released on Wednesday, found “racial and ethnic disparities in the frequency and outcomes of traffic stops conducted by troopers in 2020.” The full report can be found on the state government’s website.
MSP officials said the report found “African-Americans were significantly more likely to be involved in a traffic stop than would be expected based on their representation in the population.”
Lead researcher, Dr. Scott Wolfe from Michigan State University’s School of Criminal Justice, said a series of benchmarks showed African-American drivers were more likely to be stopped than other drivers.
“We found that traffic stops conducted during the daylight were more likely to involve an African-American driver than those conducted at night,” Wolfe said during a press conference.
“Importantly, no such disparities were found for other racial or ethnic groups,” he added.
Wolfe also noted the report examined whether there was any evidence of disparities in the outcomes drivers receive after they are stopped by an MSP trooper.
“This analysis showed that African-American and Hispanic drivers were significantly more likely than white drivers to be searched and more likely to be arrested after traffic stops,” Wolfe said.
MSP Director Col. Joe Gasper is rolling out a five-point plan in response to the report’s findings.
Gasper announced the department will hire an independent consulting firm to review MSP policies and recommend systemic changes to address disparities in traffic stops, as well as other measures.
The five-point plan focuses on:
• Hiring an independent consulting firm to review MSP policies with an eye toward making recommendations for systemic changes that will address racial disparities.
• Launching a statewide listening and engagement effort, in partnership with the Bridges to B.L.U.E. Citizen Advisory Council, in which MSP leadership will engage in open and honest conversation with leaders from communities of color, surfacing problems and finding solutions together.
• Issuing body worn cameras to all enforcement members who could have enforcement contact with Michigan residents and visitors.
• Making more data available to MSP troopers through a dashboard that will provide real-time traffic stop data so they can learn about and adjust their actions.
• Ramping up educational opportunities for troopers and recruits through the creation of the department’s Professional Development Bureau. This new bureau will provide training and development for enforcement members on familiar topics, as well as on new and emerging topics including mental health, wellness, de-escalation, cultural competency, decision-making, implicit bias and communication skills.
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Rev. Dr. Daniel Moore, Sr., Pastor of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church of Flint and Bridges to B.L.U.E. advisor, said the findings of the study "confirm what people of color around the country have always known."
"Racial disparity in policing is real. I am glad to see the Michigan State Police and Colonel Gasper are taking this head on, and I will work with them to deliver the high standard of law enforcement that everyone deserves," Moore said.
MSP commissioned the report after the department "identified through internal data analysis potential racial disparities back in September 2020.
Read the full MSP-commissioned report here.
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