Blacks most likely to be frisked during St. Paul cop stops

Updated 4:22 p.m. | Posted 1:09 p.m.

African-Americans were frisked or searched more often than any other racial group when stopped by St. Paul police, according to data the department released Wednesday on more than 500,000 traffic stops made over the past 15 years.

St. Paul police officers have recorded the race of drivers since 2001. The data show whites made up nearly half of the stops. Black drivers made up more than a third.

African-American drivers also received more citations than did drivers of any other racial or ethnic group when stopped.

Officers also noted when those stops resulted in a frisk or search of the vehicle. In those cases, African-Americans were frisked or searched more often than any other racial group. Overall, drivers of color who were stopped were almost twice as likely as whites to get frisked or have their vehicles searched.

The numbers alone don't prove that the St. Paul police department is racially profiling people of color.

There does appear to be a racial disparity given that the population of black, driving-age citizens in the city is only about one-fourth that of whites. Yet not everyone of driving age drives. And not everyone stopped by police in St. Paul, lives in St. Paul.

St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell said he wasn't surprised that the data show that black drivers are more likely than whites to be stopped and searched, but added that he doesn't believe St. Paul officers are racially profiling African-American drivers.

The disparity may be due in part to officers responding frequently to 911 calls in racially diverse neighborhoods, he added.

"That is one of many impacts that are occurring that we have to get a better handle of — why the traffic stops are occurring," he said. "I believe moving forward we have a great plan to do just that."

Starting next year, the department's record management system will be updated so officers can include the reasons for stopping and searching drivers in cases where they didn't issue a citation, he added.

The data released Wednesday, however, offer more evidence that police officers don't value the lives of black people, said Tyrone Terrill, head of the African American Leadership Council.

The solution can't be just more training — if a person who becomes a police officer doesn't already know that they should respect the lives of people of color, then no amount of training will help them, he added.

"Treat people — including African Americans and other people of color — the same way you treat whites," Terrell said. "If you value our humanity at the same level, stop seeing race. Stop seeing color. See the human side."