Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is a non-profit regional law firm that provides high quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western Ohio achieve self reliance, and equal justice and economic opportunity.
Who gets stopped in Oakwood? The racial divide.
Who gets stopped in Oakwood? The racial divide.
There is a concern from people in the Miami Valley that for years African-American drivers were stopped at a disproportionate rate when they drove through Oakwood. ABLE Attorney Ellis Jacobs examined Oakwood's data to see what it could tell us. Working with the director of the University of Dayton Criminal Justice Studies Program, ABLE has produced a report that digs into the Oakwood data and data from a neighboring jurisdiction.
The report finds that there are good reasons to be concerned about how frequently police stop African-American drivers in Oakwood, and it notes that, “… a traffic stop is not a mere inconvenience but can have powerful, sometimes life-altering, collateral consequences for people who are stopped.”
You can read the entire report here.
Oakwood officials have met with Ellis and have said there will be a community update coming soon.