Officer punches girl in face...

[bkndacn]

"In Maryland from January 1995 through December 1997, 70 percent of the drivers stopped on Interstate 95 were African Americans. According to an ACLU survey conducted around that time, only 17.5 percent of the traffic and speeders on that road were African American.
Source: Cole, David, No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System (New York: The New Press, 1999), p. 36."

"In Montgomery County, MD in 2001, “Blacks drivers were about three times as likely as whites to be asked if their vehicles could be searched. Of 450 searches, 197, or 43.8 percent, were of black drivers; 150 were of whites; and 78 were Hispanics.”

Well I grew up near Baltimore and I can tell you right now that 95% of the black people who's vehicles where searched where probably caught with something. Id like to see the stats for that!
Im not being racist but the its a fact that Poorest areas around there are where most of the trouble comes from .... and it is a fact that those areas are predominantly black
so its not being racist but statistical!
its to the point back there that there are police cameras on every corner in the city!

[djct_watt]

Originally Posted by bkndacn

"In Maryland from January 1995 through December 1997, 70 percent of the drivers stopped on Interstate 95 were African Americans. According to an ACLU survey conducted around that time, only 17.5 percent of the traffic and speeders on that road were African American.
Source: Cole, David, No Equal Justice: Race and Class in the American Criminal Justice System (New York: The New Press, 1999), p. 36."

"In Montgomery County, MD in 2001, “Blacks drivers were about three times as likely as whites to be asked if their vehicles could be searched. Of 450 searches, 197, or 43.8 percent, were of black drivers; 150 were of whites; and 78 were Hispanics.”

Well I grew up near Baltimore and I can tell you right now that 95% of the black people who's vehicles where searched where probably caught with something. Id like to see the stats for that!
Im not being racist but the its a fact that Poorest areas around there are where most of the trouble comes from .... and it is a fact that those areas are predominantly black
so its not being racist but statistical!
its to the point back there that there are police cameras on every corner in the city!

Although I am FAR from a bleeding heart liberal, I can agree that those stats should raise some eyebrows. If I were in the position to, I'd investigate into the matter. That doesn't mean anything would have to be changed, but I'd want to make sure people's rights were not being unfairly encroached upon. But if those busts are legitimate, they are taking criminals off the street, and they are being professional and courteous in their stops, then so be it. Good job, Baltimore P.D.

That having been said, I strongly question the accuracy of an ACLU survey. Surveys and polls are often biased and grossly inaccurate. The ACLU is more concerned with high profile Jesse Jackson cases, trying to incriminate innocent people, like the Duke LaCrosse guys (the whole thing was a sham as it turns out and the story was fabricated). The ACLU cares more improving its own situation, rather than the people's.

This is getting off topic, but it's NOT alarming that the demographics of criminals is so skewed. What is alarming is that there is nothing being done to help change that. . . and I when I say change I don't mean making less busts, but rather actively doing something to change the social economics that create the problem, ie improving urban schools, youth programs, college scholarships, etc. Fire some secretaries, beaurocratic assistants, lobbyists, and union leaders, and dump the money into increased salaries to attract and keep better qualified teachers. And throwing more money at something won't even necessarily improve it. Massive restructuring needs to take place. . .

[PerfectoII]

A little follow up...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540...snhp&Gt1=43001

Nothing about this on our local news that I saw though...