Press Release

For Immediate Release, February 5, 2004
Contact: Gabriela Lemus, 202-833-6130

Austin, Texas -  A groundbreaking report released today, Tuesday, February 3^rd, 2004, reveals that approximately 6 of every 7 law enforcement agencies reported searching blacks and Latinos at higher rates than Anglos following a traffic stop.  Three of every 4 departments also reported stopping blacks and Latinos at higher rates than Anglos.  Civil rights organizations are calling for immediate action at the local and statewide levels. 

The report, “Racial Profiling: Texas traffic stops and searches” is the nation’s largest survey on racial profiling data.  Data was collected from over 400 police and sheriff’s departments across Texas and includes several million police-civilian contacts.  

Dwight Steward of the Steward Research Group, the company that produced the report, stated, “We tried to give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt, and we still found serious racial disparities for many jurisdictions.” 

In some departments, blacks and Latinos were subjected to consent searches at significantly higher rates than Anglos, despite the fact that Anglos were either equally likely or more likely to be found with drugs and weapons during those searches. “This suggests that police in Texas are not only racially profiling, but are also policing in an inefficient, ineffective way,” said Will Harrell, Executive Director of the ACLU of Texas.  “In some departments, over 95% of Latinos searched didn’t do anything wrong yet he or she suffers the humiliation and demoralization of a search that only wastes an officer’s time.”  

Representatives of African-American and Latino organizations reacted harshly to the results and called for immediate investigation. “These numbers just confirm what Latinos already know from their experiences on Texas roads,” Ana Yáñez-Correa, Policy Director for the League of United Latin American Citizens of Texas. “Texas must demand greater oversight of law enforcement and immediate investigation as to these racial disparities. NAACP and LULAC will host joint town hall meetings state wide for the purpose of mobilizing our communities, informing them about their rights and allowing them to tell the public their experiences with racial profiling” 

Gary Bledsoe, President of the NAACP of Texas, agreed:  “As great as some of the disparities are, it’s no wonder blacks are overrepresented at every level of the criminal justice system.  It is appropriate that this report is released during black history month.  It reminds us that we have yet to overcome many of the challenges of our history.” Bledsoe added, “I would hope that the authorities would receive this in a positive way and that they respond appropriately to resolve the problems that are clearly manifested in this report.” 

The report was commissioned by the Texas Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Texas State Conference of NAACP Branches. 

For interviews in English contact Carlos Villarreal 512 441 8123 ext 110 or 512 507 7700 (cell). For interviews in Spanish contact Ana Yáñez-Correa 512-477-7910 or 512 587 7010 (cell).

The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States.  LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.

# # #