Joplin Police Finalize '12 Vehicle Stops Report
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: January 16, 2013
JOPLIN, MO-- The Joplin Vehicles Stops report shows some year-end numbers went up in 2012. The so called "racial profiling" report covers everything from speeding tickets to a search for drugs. Joplin Police Lieutenant Brian Lewis says 2012 saw a three percent increase in the search rate for African American drivers. He says that could be connected to a similar increase in consent searches in that group.
"What that shows is that those investigative stops are directed as part of an investigation and so, there's a 4% increase over last year. It's possible that 4% increase in investigative stops lead to part of that 3% increase overall."
Joplin officers fill out the vehicle stop form after each traffic stop - detailing everything from the type of violation and the driver's race ... to where it happened and if any contraband was discovered.
