The group behind a report that found Cincinnati police stop Black people more than three times as often as White people has released a series of recommendations that could help with the disparities.
Campaign Zero, a nonprofit dedicated to police reform, released the report based on more than a decade of data on police-initiated stops in Cincinnati June 11. The group followed up with its series of recommendations issued June 24.
The researchers found that the Whiter the neighborhood, the wider the disparity in stops. The data also showed that the disparities have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.
City officials had mixed reactions to the report. City Manager Sheryl Long affirmed her support of officers but also ordered an independent review of the data. In a letter to officers, interim Police Chief Adam Hennie called the report flawed and misleading.
Campaign Zero recommends reestablishment of the police early warning system. Cincinnati has a system that tracked officers’ work and acted as an early warning system for potential problems from 2007 to 2012, the researchers said, noting that there were almost no racial disparities in police stops in 2012.
They also recommend removing public nuisance ordinances that do not affect public safety, including jaywalking, loitering, spitting in public and window tint violations. The Enquirer analyzed five years of Hamilton County data on each of these charges and found only jaywalking and pedestrian violations have increased in recent years.
Police task forces show high disparities
Campaign Zero also suggested the city make seven other changes to make policing more fair and just in Cincinnati.
Community forums planned for residents to learn more about the report
Two community forums, hosted by the Urban League’s Holloman Center for Social Justice Executive and Cincinnati’s NAACP, are scheduled.
The first session is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 30 at the Truth and Destiny Covenant Center in Mount Airy.
The second is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on July 14 at the Urban League in Avondale.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police reform group offers ways to reduce racial disparities in stops
Reporting by Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
