HARTFORD -- Racial profiling during traffic stops has sparked heated debates across the country in recent years.
On Monday that conversation made its way to the State Capitol with the author of a recent National Geographic article focusing on its impacts.
“You have to accept not only that profiling is real but you have to start looking at well why is it happening and I think that’s a part of the debate you’re in in Connecticut right now,” Michael Fletcher said.
Fletcher authored the article which focusing on the impact of racial profiling during traffic stops. He joined others in a panel discussion brought by CCSU’s Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy. The department’s Racial Profiling Prohibition Projects provides research on the matter here in Connecticut.
“What we found has basically been corroborated in a lot of research across the country and that’s disparity exist that black and brown drivers get pulled over more, they get searched more," director Andrew J. Clark said.
The article features stories from eight people — five of which are from Connecticut including State Representative Robyn Potter.
“My life’s experience in this skin brings me to this table and many other tables that look like this,” Potter said.
Porter added, while she plans to continue to do everything in her power to bring change she is asking other legislators to not only be allies but accomplices in that change.