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Houston's black drivers searched
far more often than whites

From the Houston Chronicle:

Black motorists stopped by the Houston Police Department are 3.5 times more likely to be searched than Anglos, the worst disparity reported by any major Texas city, according to the first statewide compilation of statistics since law enforcement agencies were required to report racial data on traffic stops.

An analysis of the data from 2002, released today, also found that Hispanic drivers stopped by HPD officers are 2.4 times more likely than Anglos to be searched.

The analysis of statistics from 413 law enforcement agencies was commissioned by the Texas State Conference of NAACP branches, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and the Texas Criminal Justice Reform Coalition.

It found a similar pattern of discriminatory treatment by traffic police statewide.

In other words, "driving while black" is still a crime in the Lone Star State. Click here for more.

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