HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-25-1998 Articles
Our view
' ' Race based
traffic stops
are wrong
Word rumbled through
the community for weeks. The issue:
before an ugly accusation · iowa City police
became public, accused of targeting
At a public thrum spon- blacks in traffic stops.
sored by the Ioxta City
Police Citizens Review
Board. it came out: Police We Stl~gest:
were making race-based tral: · No need for a compri-
tic stops, targeting blacks as cated process. It is
part of an effort to clamp wrong and illegal. If it's
do;,,n on gangs, happening, it must end.
True'? That's what the
police board wants to find
out. It first will ask Police Winkelhake wouldn't say
Chief R.J. Winkelhake what whether the issue had been
demographic data is kept on discussed.
traffic stops. That omission -- a
[tislikely there v, ill be no refusal to comment on
such data. and that could whether race-based traffic
prompt the board to ask that stops e~en had been dis-
race and other characteristics cussed -- shouldn't be seen
be tracked, as an admission of guilt.
This should be a~oided, if It's curious that the chief
possible, wouldn't simply say, "Of
Such a tracking could course we don't ha~e a poll-
lead to a bureaucratic night- cy encouraging officers to
mare. as well as making stop people just because
police reluctant to <op some the?'re black and we tell offi-
people, e~en if thex ha~e a cers not to do that."
reasonable suspic:ion that But that does not mean
something is wrong, there is such a policy or that
Instead, let's just cut to officers have been encour-
· e chase. Stopping people, aged to do so.
harassing people because of So ask.
their color or any other char- And regardless of tSe
acteristic is wrong. It should-answer, let's make it clear to
n't happen in Iowa City or police -- in case they didn't
anywhere else. already know -- that harass-
Is it happening in Iowa lng people because of their
City? Maybe the board race is not only wrong, it's
should simply ask the chie¥ illegal. It's an abuse of
and Ns officers whelhex the power. It's racist
issue ever has been disow.-*axtAnd it is unacceptable.
and whether there's a policy We don't need to. dance ~
around this. We don t need a~
--ingf°rmalit. or not -- conceam- complicated data collection.~
The board might get a and assessment procedure. !{
direct answer. A report~'did- If it's happening, we justl
n't. In response to a question,need it to stop. Now.