A Study Shows Black California Drivers Are More Often Arrested For Unpaid Tickets Than Whites

A study by a Civil Right Coalition outlines how Black drivers in California are more likely to face arrest for unpaid ticket or driving with suspended license than White drivers.

According to Reuters, the study was triggered by rampant racial discrimination and high-profile police killings of unarmed Blacks. The Civil Right Coalition focused on the reasons which led to the killings and deduced that often times it would be a minor error or intangible reasons but based on racial disparities, they would be arrested or sometimes face fatal killing.

“Our new data shows statistically significant racial and socioeconomic disparities,” the group said.

In Cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, African-American drivers which make up to 6 and 9 percent respectively mostly face police arrest for crimes like unpaid tickets and driving with suspended license. However, their White counterpart drivers will escape such minute crimes. In San Francisco alone, about 49 percent of the arrests are based on failure to pay fines or appear in court according to the study.

“Individuals who cannot afford to pay an infraction citation are being arrested, jailed, and prosecuted, and are losing their licenses and their livelihoods,” the group said.

It is very clear that racism and segregation is at the higher rate in such cities, and “people of color” suffer most in these states. California police officers need special training on how they handle situation and they should be educated on the fact that racism and segregation has no place in their line of duty.

The group called for a change in policy that would limit suspension of licenses to instances of public safety, not failing to pay fines.

 

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