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Q&A
Discussion on racial disparities in NYPD traffic stops
0:51:18
·
99 sec
Council Member Cabán questions NYPD representative Josh Levin about the disproportionate rate at which Black and Latino drivers are stopped compared to white drivers. Levin challenges the data source and attributes disparities to deployment patterns in high-crime areas.
- Cabán cites NYCLU report showing Black and Latino drivers are stopped at higher rates than their share of the driving population
- Levin questions the validity of the data source and hesitates to acknowledge racial disparities
- Cabán presses for an explanation of why Black and Latino drivers are stopped more often
- Levin attributes disparities to police deployment in response to crime patterns, denying racial bias
Tiffany Cabán
0:51:18
Why are black and Latina drivers stopped so much more often than their share of drivers?
Josh Levin
0:51:25
What do you mean by their share of drivers?
Tiffany Cabán
0:51:28
So for example, and Latina drivers represent approximately 2223% of the driving population respectively.
0:51:37
Where is that?
0:51:37
They account for 3230% of the traffic stops.
0:51:40
So why are black and Latina drivers stopped so much more often than white drivers?
Josh Levin
0:51:44
Where is that percentage coming from?
Tiffany Cabán
0:51:46
From the report.
Josh Levin
0:51:47
The Nightclue report?
0:51:48
Yes.
0:51:48
Do you know where it comes from from Nightclue though?
0:51:50
It comes from a survey of commuters coming into the city.
0:51:57
And so between you and me, I'm not sure that's the best benchmark by which to
Tiffany Cabán
0:52:02
be So you're saying that it's not true that black and brown drivers are stopped more often than white drivers?
Josh Levin
0:52:09
Not what I said.
0:52:10
What I said is I'm just hesitant to say there is a number who should be stopped based off a survey of who is commuting Okay.
Tiffany Cabán
0:52:19
So my question for you is why are black and Latina drivers putting numbers aside, why are black and Latina drivers stopped more often than white drivers?
Josh Levin
0:52:30
I think it comes down to where we see the deployment of resources like I explained earlier.
0:52:35
When you have more police officers in a certain area because you're responding to specific crimes, you're gonna see more enforcement.
Tiffany Cabán
0:52:41
So racial bias?
Josh Levin
0:52:45
No.
0:52:46
The department is not a racist council member.
Tiffany Cabán
0:52:49
I think that the data says otherwise, counsel.
0:52:56
I'm gonna ask my next question.
0:52:57
The same report found that NYPD searched 83 more vehicles in 2024 than 2023.