Virginia Traffic Stops Called Racially Biased
A new report analyzing traffic stop data over a nine-month period in Virginia found Black drivers were the most frequently stopped, at 30.8 percent, while Hispanic drivers had higher arrests and searches than both white and Black drivers.
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A new report analyzing traffic stop data over a nine-month period in Virginia shows that Black and Hispanic drivers are disproportionately stopped by police in Virginia, and more likely to be searched and arrested, than white drivers, reports Brittney Melton for WUSA9. Some 30.8 percent of the 567,181 traffic stops analyzed between July 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 involved Black drivers, although Black people represent 19.5 percent of Virginia’s driving-age population. Of the stopped Black drivers, 2.8 percent had a search conducted on them or their car and 1.9 percent were also arrested, while white drivers were only searched 2.1 percent of the time and arrested 1.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Hispanics, who make up 8.9 percent of Virginia’s driving-age population, represented 9.5 percent of drivers stopped, 2.9 percent of searches, and 2.1 percent of arrests, the latter two stats being higher than both their white and Black counterparts. 97.6 percent of the traffic stops conducted in the state were made for traffic or motor-vehicle equipment violations, with the most frequent outcome being a citation or summons.
