While Florida’s NAACP travel advisory continues to draw reaction from throughout the nation and the world, Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. says this state’s advisory remains in effect.
“The advisory serves as a reminder that crimes against Black victims, including Justin King, Durante Martin, and Tori Sanders, remain unsolved,” the NAACP said in a release.
“In Missouri, Black people cannot sue co-workers that discriminate against them at work. Black tax dollars are funding government functions that harm and don’t help Black in an equitable manner.”
For the 23rd straight year, the state Attorney General report on motorists stops shows that Black motorists in Missouri are disproportionately targeted, with Black drivers being stopped at higher rates than their white counterparts. The disparity index for Black drivers was 1.59, indicating that they are being stopped at rates about a 60% higher rate than their share of the population would indicate.
“These disparities raise significant questions about the fairness and equity of traffic enforcement practices in Missouri – the same concerns raised in the NAACP Missouri Travel Advisory. Black motorists now feel compelled to records traffic stops for their own safety on the road and evidence in court. It should not be that way,” said Chapel.
Furthermore, the report highlights that Black drivers, especially when away from their home communities, are stopped at higher numbers compared to White drivers in similar circumstances. This finding reinforces the urgent need to address biased practices and ensure equal treatment for all individuals, regardless of their race or ethnicity.
“The statistics presented in the vehicle stops report are deeply troubling and demand immediate attention. We cannot ignore the systemic racial disparities that persist within our state. The Missouri NAACP is committed to advocating for meaningful reforms that will address these disparities and promote equal justice for all,” Chapel said.
“The Missouri NAACP calls on lawmakers, law enforcement agencies, and community leaders to take decisive action to address these issues. It is imperative that we work together to ensure the fair and just treatment of all individuals within our society.”
Published Thursday by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, the report compiles data on stops for 2022 from 581 of the state’s 613 police agencies. Most are municipal police or county sheriff’s departments, but the report also gathers data from specialized forces like the University of Missouri Police Department and the only statewide agency, the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The report is the 23rd consecutive compilation of police statistics that show Black drivers are stopped at higher rates than their share of Missouri’s population.
Four of the other ethnicities listed — white, Native American, Asian, and other — have been stopped every year at lower rates than their share of the population. A fifth ethnicity, Hispanic, has not had a stop rate above its share of the population since 2007.
During 2022, police made more than 1.25 million traffic stops, issued almost 550,000 citations, and made 49,122 arrests. More than three-quarters of the stops were white motorists and roughly 17% were Black.
White motorists were released with a warning or no action after more than half of those stops, with just under 40% receiving a citation and arrests in 3.65% of cases. Black drivers received a citation after almost 58% of stops, with 5.26% arrested.
