[Peace-discuss] Fw: resend: references regarding state racial profiling data

[Randall Cotton]

Here is David Gehrig's response to the follow-up I just posted.
R

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "! Gehrig, David" <dggehrig at city.urbana.il.us>
To: "Randall Cotton" <recotton at earthlink.net>; "! Smyth, Charlie"
<csmyth at sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 11:06 AM
Subject: RE: resend: references regarding state racial profiling data


Randall -- thanks very much for the links (and your time in putting the
presentation together.

We will (a) get the data CD from IDOT -- including whatever past years are
available (back to 2004, I think) -- and I will run statistical analyses,
and I believe Charlie will do the same, at which time we'll compare
results. I will then present the results of my analysis publicly, maybe at
a meeting of the Committee of the Whole. I hope to be able to do this in
the next six months.

Let me say again that I understand your frustration. It's not my intention
at all to try to sweep anything under the rug. If the statistical analysis
shows a pattern of racial profiling, I won't shy away from saying so
publicly.

David @%<


-----Original Message-----
From: Randall Cotton [mailto:recotton at earthlink.net]
Sent: Tue 2/10/2009 9:25 PM
To: ! Gehrig, David; ! Smyth, Charlie
Subject: resend: references regarding state racial profiling data

I'm resending this because I got Dave's e-mail address wrong the first
time around:

--------------

Dear Charlie and Dave,

Thanks for your interest and concern regarding this issue.

Please find attached the data I presented last night as it appeared on
your screens (and was presumably recorded on the video of the meeting).

To elaborate, you can find a description of the methodology and statewide
demographic data on estimated driver population at:

.http://www.dot.state.il.us/trafficstop/2004summary.pdf

And you'll find the 2007 data for all jurisdictions at:

.http://www.dot.state.il.us/travelstats/2007%20Agency%20Reports.pdf

The main State of Illinois web page on the racial profiling data for 2007
(from where you can navigate to the above files and many others) is at:

http://www.dot.il.gov/trafficstop/results07.html

On this main page it's stated:
***************

To obtain a copy of the 2007 raw data, email IDOT at
racialprofiling at dot.il.gov, and a CD containing the data will be mailed to
you.  Please include all necessary mailing information (name and mailing
address) and the data format requested.  Only one copy of the data will be
sent per request.


The deliverable data format is:  a Statewide ASCII delimited text file,
approximately 419 MB in size or 1,041 individual agency ASCII delimited
text files.  These files can be imported into a database (Instructions
included with deliverable CD).

***************
The format of the raw data is described at:

http://www.dot.il.gov/trafficstop/database07.html

What efforts are you willing to undertake to investigate the degree to
which racial profiling takes place in Urbana, contributing to the 250%
disparity in likelihood of being pulled over if you're black vs. if you're
white?

Thanks
R