WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Police Deciding How to Enact Racial-Profiling Rule

Police Deciding How to Enact Racial-Profiling Rule

By Emily Matesic

State officials are holding a listening session Thursday at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay, getting public input about how to enact a new rule which will help determine if minorities are being targeted during traffic stops.

Signed by Governor Jim Doyle into the state budget, starting January 1, 2011, the State will begin tracking who officers are pulling over and why.

"What they're trying to do is collect data to see if there's an issue with disproportionate minority contacts in the traffic world," Green Bay Police Chief Jim Arts said.

"There's certain communities that are going to have a higher number of racial stops based off the make-up of that community, just as some communities are less. It's really going to depend on the make-up of the people there," Lieutenant Jody Crocker, Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department, said.

Right now when an officer makes a traffic stop, it's their discretion whether to cite a driver and therefore create a record of the incident.

Under this new rule, regardless if a ticket is written, the officer will still need to enter information into their computer about the driver and the circumstances surrounding the stop.

"Was the vehicle searched? Was it searched with or without consent? What was the reason for the stop? Was contraband found? Was a physical arrest made?" Chief Arts expounded.

While exactly what information the officers will need to document is still being determined, the departments we spoke with Thursday told us, under this new rule, it's possible more citations will be written and verbal warnings will basically become non-existent.

"There are some officers that are, I would say, more lenient, that would be more apt to give a verbal warning for certain violations. This changes that so when they do make a traffic stop they have to document either a warning or a citation," Crocker said.

"Officers will no longer be able to stop you for, say, going through a stop sign and saying, 'Please watch what you're doing, don't drive through that, it's a safety concern, have a nice day, good-bye.' There's no more 'verbal' warnings. Every stop requires pen to paper or fingers to computer keys," Arts said.

While local law enforcement officials don't think racial profiling is a problem here in Wisconsin, they welcome the challenge and the extra paperwork.

"Anything that makes us more professional, anything that makes us more accountable, let's go for it, let's see where this brings us," Chief Arts said.