A report from Seton Hall Law School Center for Policy & Research has found that in the majority-white municipality of Bloomfield, New Jersey, nearly 80 percent of traffic tickets are issued to African American and Latino drivers.
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The report also found that most tickets were issued to non-resident minority drivers passing through town, suggesting a “de facto border patrol” policing policy is in effect.
The Bloomfield Police Department — which has begun collecting data on the race of drivers in traffic stops as of January 2016 — rejects the report’s findings.
Jason Castle is a councilman-at-large for the Township of Teaneck, New Jersey. In 2012, Castle was detained by New Jersey state troopers near Englewood after he pulled over to change the settings on his car’s GPS. His warrant stated that he had refused a breathalyzer test. Eight months later, Castle’s charges were dismissed when the state failed to supply evidence of an offense or provide him with a speedy trial. VICE News sat down with Castle to hear why he believes he was mistreated and denied his rights by law enforcement.
Read “Driving While Black: Cops Target Minority Drivers in This Mostly White New Jersey Town”
