89 percent of traffic stops in New York City involved non-whites

[tj2001]

from http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0722/p02s01-usju.html

Twenty-three states, including Massachusetts, have enacted legislation banning racial profiling. But such practices – stopping suspects on the basis of what they look like – are still prevalent, some say. A recent study showed that 89 percent of traffic stops in New York City involved non-whites.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Are white people in New York City better drivers?

Now if Gates had installed a home video system to record what transpired, would he have been charged with surreptitiously taping a police officer which is a felony in Massachusetts? (Are people in Massachusetts supposed to ask for permission from the cop first - "Hmmm, officer, can I record you beating me?"

[Mythsaje]

1. Taping a cop shouldn't even be a crime, much less a felony.

They've proven over and over again not to be trustworthy when it comes to dealing honestly with situations of questionable tactics.

[Curtland1015]

2. Not to mention, they're supposed to be working FOR us!

...and they have guns and night sticks!

We should make a law that officers need to have cameras recording at all times on their uniforms "NFL camera-in-a-helmet" style.

[Mythsaje]

4. Sounds like another job for Progressive Initiative Man! (or Woman).

Assuming such a creature existed. :)

[TahitiNut]

3. People actually own cars in NYC? Are these commercial drivers?

I just don't understand the demographics of drivers and miles-driven ... seems to me that it's mostly taxi cabs. Almost any other city would be easier to comprehend in context ... but NYC is a city where the affluent DON'T drive anywhere as much as elsewhere.

And .. no ... I *DO* understand the Driving-While-Black 'offense' ("Driving-While-Oriental(sic)" in California.)

[lindisfarne]

5. 89% seems high, but one needs to interpret this in the context of who drives in NYC - what is the

racial profile of those driving. A relatively large percentage of NYC drivers are taxi drivers - what is the racial profile of the taxi drivers?

In many large cities, taxi drivers get disproportionately more tickets on a per capita basis (in part because they drive more miles).

[pnwmom]

7. Exactly what I was wondering. n/t

[joeybee12]

8. hell, from what I've seen in NYC, the cops should be pulling EVERYONE over...

...and I'd like to know how anyone can be speeding in that eternal traffic jam.

[marmar]

10. A relatively high percentage of Manhattan drivers are cab drivers.....

But most of New York City is NOT Manhattan.

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. thumbsup

grew up in Queens. Everybody drives. Two million people live in Queens alone.

;-)

[lindisfarne]

15. NYC has a much higher percentage of total miles driven by taxi drivers than most other major metro

cities. I doubt 89% of total miles driven are driven by minorities - but without the actual figures, I don't know how to assess the statement in the article cited by the OP. I assume everyone but non-hispanic white caucasians are being considered "minorities" but I'm not even certain about that.

[alcibiades_mystery]

17. Yowza

Miles driven by yellow taxi (likely majority non-white) is easily matched by miles driven by car services (likely majority white) and trades union vehicles (also likely majority white). I'm not even going to bring in the Pepsi and Tropicana route guys, UPS, or etc. Nothing explains this statistic other than profiling. No population data could possibly explain it.

[lindisfarne]

18. You might be correct - but there needs to be data to back up such a statement. Having

the data strengthens the argument one is trying to make if one wants to argue that profiling is occurring.

Without data, you're just expressing an unsubstantiated opinion.

[pnwmom]

6. What percent of cars in NYC are driven by non-whites? n/t

[marmar]

9. It's not 89 percent.

[pnwmom]

11. That's your opinion, but the answer is we don't know. I don't remember the

last time I took a taxi in NYC driven by a white person.

[marmar]

12. Taxis are primarily in Manhattan.....Most of New York CIty IS NOT Manhattan.

And most of the drivers are driving in the outer boroughs, not on Manhattan.

[lindisfarne]

13. The relevant factor isn't what % of drivers are minorities. You have to factor in the total miles

driven and whether each is a minority - for example, taxi drivers drive many many miles in NY.
Some New Yorkers have cars in NYC that get driven once a month, if that, to leave NY. Otherwise, within NY, they tax taxis or public transport or walk.

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. 89% is way out of the park disproportional

I can't even believe this discussion. The notion that this is even CLOSE to proportional to miles driven stats by race is ludicrous. I grew up in New York City, in Queens. I also lived many years in Brooklyn. Eighty-nine percent is crazy. It's totally disproportional to population, car ownership, miles driven, or any other crazy stat you can conjure up. The very fact that people are sitting here talking about fucking TAXIS as if that would explain this statistic shows complete ignorance of New York City, period, full stop.

[lindisfarne]

19. See #18. Read carefully what I have written in a number of posts-data is necessary to back up the

claims made - very briefly in OP's article.
Your gut instinct may be correct. I suspect it is. But gut instincts are also incorrect. Plus, it is relevant to know the actual data. The OP's article did not provide any context.