According to a preliminary report released Monday, blacks are stopped and searched by Oakland police at a rate of 62 percent while they make up just 28 percent of the city’s population.
The report also shows that although blacks were more likely to be stopped, they were no more likely than any other racial group to be found with illegal drugs, weapons or other contraband.
The data also shows that Oakland police are more likely to arrest blacks on suspicion of felony charges during a stop.
The report, which presents stop-and-search figures from last April through November, was ordered as part of the negotiated settlement of a multimillion-dollar civil rights lawsuit over a decade ago stemming from the Riders scandal which alleged police brutality and other misconduct.
Oakland Interim Police Chief Sean Whent said in a letter that the figures in the report are reflective of “the situation in many U.S. cities and speaks to the need for systemic changes throughout our communities.”
“We are committed to working toward an Oakland that ensures equal opportunities, protections and successes for all,” he wrote.
Whent said the department is regularly monitoring its stop data analysis during internal meetings and with oversight by a federal court-appointed monitor.