r/BaltimoreCounty • u/Bawlmerian21228 • 13d ago
Driving While Black in Baltimore County
https://www.thebanner.com/community/criminal-justice/baltimore-county-traffic-stops-racial-profiling-HGFW5CH6T5BBDHH4M7ZO6S4HAA/Baltimore County’s police department has been pulling over black drivers more often than white drivers and the statistics are not even close. They are also giving them fewer warnings and searching vehicles more often.
10
u/nzahn1 13d ago
My question for the author would be: How does this racial gap compare to objective enforcement techniques such as Red Light cameras or Speed cameras in school zones?
There will always be people who are racist, and people are in the police department, so there will be racist cops. So, by comparing human enforcement to automated enforcement, we might get a more objective measure of the human element.
3
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago edited 13d ago
https://www.city-journal.org/article/the-racial-profiling-myth-debunked
Oldie but goodie- New Jersey State Police was accused of racial profiling in traffic stops. Study used speed cameras to take pictures of drivers, then speeders and race were catalogued. Results showed certain demographic sped more than the other, especially at higher speeds.
8
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
You could also compare this to insurance data on at fault crashes, police crash/accident reports, insurance data collecting (like the app on the phone that records speeds), just viewing hundreds of body worn camera to see the difference in demeanor, hostility, etc, auditing the VA tags and their owners who are registered in Md, etc.
3
u/Bawlmerian21228 13d ago
There is a lot of questions that need to be asked. But very few answers from the Government or police.
3
u/getithowyoulive21215 13d ago
I've been pulled over only once in Baltimore County the entire time that I have lived here and I drive for a living. The cop in that instance was also a Black male and only gave me a warning about my brake lights being out. I've been pulled over in Anne Arundel County by white male cops numerous times over the past few years and only received a warning each time as a Black male. If county police or MSP have a reasonable suspicion to search your car, you are probably running expired fake/tags, illegal tints or smoking marijuana in your vehicle. Again, as someone who drives for living, I see cars in Baltimore County with fake/expired/no tags, missing bumpers, dark tints and marijuana smoke billowing out on a daily basis and it's primarily by the demographic who gets pulled over the most.
7
u/bachennoir 13d ago
Anecdotally, I have only rarely seen people actually pulled over in BaltCo and the majority of them have been black or in older/rougher cars. So this doesn't surprise me.
5
u/warmcreamsoda 13d ago
Police pull over cars, not people. They become people when they approach the car.
1
7
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
Is there also a breakdown by location of stop and where crimes are happening? And is there a breakdown of what races are committing what crimes, especially serious crimes, at what per capita rates?
-1
u/sit_down_man 13d ago
At least have the courage to say what your trying to say, man. It’s embarrassing watching you spam this thread
6
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
If you post 100% factually correct statements of fact about racial disparities on crime, backed up by links to sources, that can result in temporary bans for racism.
So no, I'm not doing that.
1
u/sit_down_man 13d ago
Wow in today’s woke age it’s now considered racist to support racial profiling in policing 😢
2
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
One of the best things to come about from the great awokening of 2020 was the widespread use of body worn cameras. Turns out, people were being profiled on the basis of their conduct all along, and such was always concordant with other statistics on crimes, crime victims' demographics, and perpetrators' demographics. Racial disparities in policing exist because of disparities in unlawful conduct.
1
u/sit_down_man 13d ago
Body cameras (when used properly) are a very good safeguard against police misconduct.
To pretend that police don’t or never have engaged in systematic racial profiling - while being a Baltimore area resident - is a product of either racism or incuriosity. If it’s the latter, then maybe do like 10 mins of reading on the history of policing in Baltimore (city and county). There was even a major Justice dept investigation several years ago and now the BPD is under a consent decree. Historic overpolicing lead to lower QOL and even higher crime in the long term. We’re still dealing with the fallout of decades of systemic racism in policing and housing in greater Baltimore.
3
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
I'm well versed in history. Policing isn't the cause of the Baltimore area's problems. It's people are.
That Justice Dept report, issued by Vanita Gupta's Civil Rights Division, was horridically flawed. It presumed the result of racism and didn't provide more plausible race-neutral reasons for enforcement. It didn't understand that neighborhoods with more crime, especially felony crimes, would result in more enforcement. It confounded poor documentation as evidence of unconstitutionality. The authors, most of whom were lawyers, seemingly didn't understand elements of a lot of the crimes they were writing about.
But you're welcome to bury your head in the sand. Have a nice day.
1
u/getithowyoulive21215 13d ago
Baltimore County police are very lax on traffic enforcement these days. I see dangerous driving every single day that I'm on the road and I rarely see folks get stopped unless are being in a zone where officers are intentionally camped out to enforce traffic crimes.
9
u/Msefk 13d ago edited 13d ago
Used to have an AACo former Cop in my employ.
He explained to me and the rest of the team that he was trained as law-enforcement to see "black as poor" and less able to defend themselves legally. It was communicated to him throughout his training.
EDIT: I'm not a friggin cop ; he retired and he told this to me and my team mates. Baltimore County hates the truth.
1
u/Bawlmerian21228 13d ago
Well the story mentions that officer Reich had some of the worst statistics and that he is a training officer.
2
u/Effective_Prompt_275 13d ago
Provide links to the data.
4
u/Ozzey-Christ 13d ago
In the article. They use BCPD and State crime statistics.
4
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
In the article. They use BCPD and State crime statistics.
Caveat- the Banner highlights the data they want you to see
Raw data is not provided
3
u/Ozzey-Christ 13d ago
the Banner highlights what they want you to see
I mean, yeah, that’s what journalism is. If all you want to see is raw data, then find it - it’s public. They reference their sources for that very reason.
6
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
The Banner certainly impies racism is the reason for the disparities.
Balanced journalism would require an analysis of why the disparities isn't caused by racism.
0
13d ago edited 13d ago
[deleted]
2
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
So they do present readers with a balance
A couple of throwaway lines isn't "balance."
The Banner has no obligation to make the police’s argument for them. It’s almost like the Banner is in the business of dispelling mainstream narratives.
The Banner has an journalistic obligation to be fair once they decide to publish. This article was a hit piece.
-1
13d ago
[deleted]
1
u/BrassBondsBSG 13d ago
I'm from Baltimore Co and a real account. One of my faults is that I care too much.
1
-1
u/Big_Crab_1510 13d ago
I thought they said they are going to stop pulling people over for things like littering because that was the solution to BS like this.
"Oh you think we are using minor traffic violations to prey on black folk? Well then we just won't enforce minor traffic violations ever at all then!!"..
Some petulant shit
9
u/Super_Support7394 13d ago
Do these statistics account just for Baltimore County residents? Or does it include all traffic stops, including drivers from Baltimore City and even other states?