It is not politically correct to stop those people "of color", despite overwhelming evidence that male American-Africans (sic) and South Americans are statistically far more likely to be involved in drug trafficking offenses than any other ethnic groups. It is similar to the objections raised about closely monitoring middle Eastern males aged fifteen to forty in airports. Sooo, we target little old ladies in wheelchairs for full body searches just to insure that justice has on a blindfold... Incidentally, the term "politically correct" originated during the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. I wonder where we might locate a gulag or two?

Let us be clear. It is a crime to both posses illegal narcotics for use and sale. Whites make up the largest group of drug users in the US. Furthermore any statistic regarding the rate of involvement in the drug sale is in reference to convictions. It is known that black suspects are more likely to be convicted of drug offenses vs. their white peers for the same crime (and in some cases where the white suspect has actually MORE drugs on their person).

That said, since Blacks make up less than 19% of Turnpike users and whites make up the majority of users, then it is clear that the police, even if profiling are sending a message that drug users are OK. After all one is more likely to be stopped IF one fits the supposed profile of a seller rather than a user.

Also, one officer was quotes as saying something about "violators". The fact is that the average speed, which is usually the basis of such stops, on the Turnpike is about 80 MPH and increases as one goes south as traffic generally lightens. Therefore to act as if black motorists are somehow more prone to break speed limit laws is ridiculous as the offices know full well that just about every person on the Turnpike is going above the speed limit UNTIL they spot an officer. So given this fact it would seem that officers are particularly targetting black speeders for having the gall to drive like every other motorist on the Turnpike.

What is really at the heart of the profiling on the Turnpike are speed limit laws (as well as other obscure laws on the books) that allow police to harrass motorists. The whole speed thing is a corrupt system that sticks motorists not only for the 265+ ticket but also with increased insurance costs and threats to their livelihoods by judges, some of whome think they are morally superior to those 'caught" speeding.

So the way to put a damper on profiling is to put an end to the "excuse" that State Troopers use to do so. Speed limit laws ought to be revised with sensible alternatives. More enforcement of hazardous driving situations such as left lane sitting, tailgating, improper lane changing and the like would not only make the roads safer but also take away the No., 1 excuse that State Troopers use to victimize moterists.

a response to the first comment: the reason more african americans are convicted of drug offenses is because they are more likely to be suspected, investigated, and arrested by police (due to the correlation of race and poverty and - what is relevant here - police racism). their higher rate of conviction is then used to justify further harrassment, thus continuing the cycle.

i would distinguish this situation from the recognition that a particular group of terrorists do, IN FACT, all share demographic characteristics (that said, remember mcveigh? he was white). but what we are talking about in NJ is not narrowing down a list of suspects, it is selective enforcement of the law.

-kate