WINDSOR, Va. — In Virginia, Black drivers are pulled over at a higher rate than White people, according to new data collected as part of the Commonwealth's Community Policing Act.
The report gives a first-time, up-close look at traffic enforcement practices across the Commonwealth.
Starting last summer, the law requires law enforcement officers and State police to track and collect information on race, ethnicity, and gender of the person stopped; reason for the stop; the location of the stop; whether a warning, written citation or summons was issued or any arrests; any information on the warning, violation or crime charged; and whether the vehicle was searched.
Across the Commonwealth, White drivers made up 63 percent of drivers stopped, and 31 percent were Black. However, Black people make up just under 20 percent of the state's population, according to U.S. Census data. White Virginians make up 69 percent of the state.
“We have preached it and now are backed up by what we are saying,” said Brandon Randleman with the Isle of Wight NAACP chapter.
Randleman says the numbers are problematic, but he’s glad state officials and lawmakers can now see the data and hopefully address it.
"You would hope local governments would take that data and make changes," he said.
Randleman and other Black leaders have been outspoken about a Dec. 5 traffic stop of a Black army officer in Windsor. Two police officers pepper-sprayed and handcuffed Lt. Caron Nazario, but ultimately, he was not cited. One of those officers was fired after the video surfaced, and Nazario has filed a federal lawsuit.
Because Nazario was not cited -- although a police report was filed -- Randleman says it would have been difficult to track these kinds of stops prior to the changes to the law. Starting July 1, 2021, officers will be required to track if he or she uses any physical force or someone uses physical force against them, for the state-wide database.
Since the video of Nazario's traffic stop went public in April, the NAACP and others have argued Black people are disproportionately pulled over along U.S. Route 460.
According to the state data, Black drivers were nearly twice as likely to be pulled over by Windsor Police. Black people made up 44 percent of traffic stops in Windsor since last July, but 24 percent of the overall population. White drivers were less likely to be stopped (53 percent to 68 percent, respectively).
Combine all five law enforcement agencies in Isle of Wight County, and the number looks similar. Fifty percent of traffic stops were White drivers and 47 percent were Black drivers, with the population showing 72 and 23 percent, respectively.
“The town has a reputation of a speed trap," he said on April 21. "I’ve never seen any bias on people based on race, sex, religion, cultural creeds, diversities, whatever, but no one has ever come to us and said that. That’s the first I’ve ever heard of that story.”
Since the video surfaced, the entire department has undergone implicit bias training and will undergo further training, including on the use of force and traffic stops.
Riddle has also recommended several initiatives for the Windsor Town Council, including investing in more technology to limit speeding and help reduce the need for traffic stops and police interaction.
The state data show Black Virginians are more likely to have their vehicles searched, as well.