The Chicago Tribune reports about the delay in addressing racial disparities among consent searches performed by Illinois State troopers. Five years ago, a state panel was created to study racial profiling on the road, however they have yet to hold their first meeting. The ACLU of Illinois filed a complaint with the Department of Justice this year asking for an investigation. Shortly thereafter, the Illinois Department of Transportation released their report that highlighted how drivers of color are approximately 3 times more likely to be asked for a consent search despite being less likely to have contraband as compared to white drivers. The oversight panel would look at how information about these consent searches is collected and ways to prevent racial profiling.
Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the Illinois ACLU, calls the oversight board a missed opportunity to make sure state laws and police policies are fair to all drivers.
“The fact that there hasn't been this board functioning in an independent fashion has really created an obstacle towards solutions,” he said.
