Thread by @CityLab

The Minneapolis police department has been making an average of 80% fewer traffic stops each week since May 25, the day of George Floyd’s death.

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The drop during a summer of public police criticism is far more dramatic than a dip after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Since Floyd was killed, average rates of these stops across census tracts have plummeted below pandemic levels: an average of 70 a week from May 25 to the end of August, compared with a weekly average of 351 prior.

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But stark racial disparities still remain.

Between the end of May & the end of August, 47% of traffic stops recorded were of people identified as Black and 7% as East African.

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These disparities have long characterized Minneapolis traffic enforcement: The city is about 64% white and 19% Black or African American.

And yet year after year, more Black Minneapolitans are pulled over than white residents.

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Across the U.S., it's estimated that 50,000 drivers and pedestrians are stopped by police on a typical day.

After analyzing 100 million stops, Stanford found that Black drivers were 20% more likely to be pulled over than white drivers.

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There’s a growing movement in the U.S. to hand some police duties over to social workers and alternative emergency responders.

This includes traffic stops.

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“This is a perfect time for us to take a look at this and figure out what kind of response do we want, and who’s involved in that response,” says Mary Moriarty, the chief public defender in the county that includes Minneapolis.

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