Federal monitor finds Cleveland Police nearly four times more likely to stop Black drivers

Cleveland Police disproportionately stop, search and arrest Black Clevelanders compared to other races, according to a new assessment from the monitor overseeing the police consent decree.

“Citywide, Black drivers are stopped by police at nearly twice (1.97 or 197%) the rate you would expect based on their share of the driving population—making up 62.7% of traffic stops but only 31.8% of drivers,” the monitor, Christine Cole, wrote, adding that white drivers make up 31% of stops and 59% of drivers. “Black drivers are more than 3.7 times as likely as White drivers to be stopped by Cleveland police.”

The assessment additionally found Black people were more likely to be searched and more likely to be arrested after a stop.

“While the assessment determined that considerable progress has bee