Racial Profiling in Seattle

By Unknown Writer #1

John Morgan

Lloyd Blanchard

Car Choice

John Morgan is a 25 year-old automotive technology student at South Seattle Community College.

"I get pulled over for no apparent reason just because I'm driving in a car that they (Seattle Police) relate as being a gang member's car or a predominantly Black person's car."

For the young man with an affinity for automobiles, being stopped because of his choice of cars seems unfair.

"I like working on cars and I like cars that go fast," says Morgan, naming Dodge and Chevy as his favorites.

"If I was driving a Regal or a Cutlass and a white person the same age, same gender and same height as me was driving the same kind of car, nine out of ten times, I'm going to get pulled over...."

Besides automobiles, Morgan lists personal appearance as being crucial in racial profiling.

"I can't even wear a baseball cap in my own car," he complains.

He's been hassled, too, for having "my hair braided up."

"I've also been pulled over for jaywalking," he adds, "and the reason is that I'm not your average person."

At 6'2" and 270 pounds, Morgan says he "intimidate(s) a lot of officers."

"Even though I do have a prior record, (there's) no violent history on it. When they run my name on the computer, no matter if it's a jaywalking ticket, they call for a three or four-car backup."

Although Morgan's crime "was a first offense...troubles been following me ever since."

He laments that he's "paid (my) debt to society, (but) all it takes is one racist cop to say you did something and they're going to take his word over yours."

States Of Mind

University of Washington Assistant Professor of Public Affairs Lloyd Blanchard has been in Seattle for a year. Since moving from Syracuse, New York, the 39 year-old has had no encounters with racial profiling although he's experienced it in other states.

"It's a little disturbing to think that there would be a greater probability of me being stopped than someone that doesn't look like me," he says. "When you're on the road and you're stopped and you realize you were probably speeding, but so were a lot of people, you can't help wonder...was it me as a Black person?"

He suggests education as the solution.

"There are ought to be policies instituted to train police to understand that even though there is a correlation between race and other problems, that correlation doesn't necessarily mean accusation."

Seattle's been good for Blanchard who says, "police work hard at doing the right thing here compared to New York and southern states."

Yet he admits to taking great pains with his appearance.

"I'm very careful in my dress and demeanor. Sort of the old lessons that mom and dad taught you how to live in America as a Black person. It's unfortunate. I should be able to drive my Mercedes in my sweats, T-shirt and torn shorts and not have someone think I stole it."

Nonetheless, Blanchard's encounters with local police have been positive.

One day while sitting in a coffee shop reading about the new police chief, Morgan "struck up a conversation with (a policeman)...I realized if I had tried doing that in Syracuse, that wouldn't have happened."

Cops And Quotas

Forty-nine year-old Charlie James says he's been a victim of DWB.

"Every African American man who has been stopped by police more than two or three times feels that way," says the publisher of the African American Business Journal, Seattle Times columnist and community activist.

James has been pulled over mostly at night after working at his Central Area office on 21st Avenue East and East Union Street.

He's even developed a routine that establishes "a rapport with (police) as quick as possible, particularly, a white female officer...because they already believe you're going to disrespect them."

As a member of the African American Advisory Council, James raised questions to the police department about quotas.

"It did appear to most of us in the Central Area that there was frenzy of activity the last days of the month. It's a standard joke in the community."

The likelihood of police discovering lapsed insurance policies, expired drivers' licenses and defective cars is higher among unemployed inner city residents, according to James.

"A huge percentage of African American men...could easily end up being ticketed if pulled over."

While whites "may have attorneys or political muscle," James says, "The typical African American stop will not create a lot of legal liabilities down the road. Half the time they don't show up in court."

Today, James drives a station wagon.

"It connotates (sic) a family man," he says, advising younger African Americans to refrain from driving older classic cars "that they soup up."

"It's like a red flag...Any police officer who sees that car driving by, says 'I know there's a ticket here somewhere.'"

James also stresses personal appearance. "Rarely, if ever, have I been stopped when I'm dressed in a suit and tie."

Lobbying for more African American police officers, James is disheartened by the community's attitude now that more have been hired.

"It was hard to get Black officers on the force...to turn around and call them 'Toms' and 'sell-outs,' it doesn't make any sense at all. Rather than building an alliance with African American and other officers willing to work with us, we are trying to turn against them when our community is under siege. It's the worse mistake we can make."

Kevin Henry

Obliviously Blissful

Although he is the Cultural Diversity Director for the City of Bellevue, 43-year-old Kevin Henry lives just north of Seattle.

"I've expected to have problems, but I drive a very unassuming white car, a Ford Escort," says Henry who dresses "very conservatively."

"The only time I've been stopped by police were for traffic infractions that were valid," he adds.

Henry agrees with Morgan and James that the type of automobile one drives is a major factor in DWBs. "If I had a nice car, a certain type of car, and I was maybe a little more extroverted..." he says his chances for being stopped would be higher.

Henry says he's never had to deal with rude officers and that he has "a lot of respect for the police...I wouldn't want the job."

However, he admits he may be unaware of the signs of racial profiling. "Maybe I'm oblivious to problems because I have not been stopped. I might not even know when I'm being profiled."

Like Blanchard, Henry believes Seattle is not as bad as other cities. "I think I had it worse in L.A. than here...(where) there are no bars on the windows, front doors are left opened, strangers are allowed in the home and steering wheels aren't bolted...the whole tone is different."

In a couple of months, attorneys will file their class action suit in U.S. District Court and Seattleites will learn more about racial profiling.

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