Statewide Annual Traffic Stop Report.

Jefferson City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon has released the 2003 report on traffic stops in Missouri. The report documents 1,360, 814 traffic stops, 105,821 searches and 74,663 arrests made by 616 law enforcement agencies across the state, providing information for several different racial and ethnic groups.

The statewide numbers in the 2003 report indicate that African-Americans were stopped at a rate 36 percent higher than expected based solely on their proportion of the driving-age population. When compared with whites, African-American drivers were 40 percent more likely to be stopped. The 2002 report also showed that African-Americans were 40 percent more likely to be stopped than white drivers.

The 2003 report also shows that 12.44 percent of blacks who were stopped statewide were searched, compared to 6.91 percent of whites. A direct comparison of the two groups means an African-American driver who was stopped was 80 percent more likely to be searched than a white driver who was stopped.

Statewide, Hispanic drivers were stopped at a rate only a little more likely than their proportion of the population. Those Hispanic drivers who were stopped, however, were more than twice as likely to be searched as white drivers who were stopped.

Nixon cautioned that racial profiling could neither be proved or disproved by statistics alone, and that a statistical disproportion did not prove that law enforcement decisions involving traffic stops are being based solely on inappropriate factors.

"Analysis of the data — particularly the data supplied by individual law enforcement agencies — has proven to be a springboard for constructive dialogue between the agencies and the communities they serve," Nixon said.

Nixon noted that state law requires every agency to not only have a written policy regarding racial profiling, but also to provide additional training to officers, and to promote the use of effective, non-combative methods for carrying out their duties in a racially and culturally diverse environment.

"I must reiterate what I have said in analyzing each of these reports: law-abiding drivers have the right to travel throughout Missouri without the fear that they will be stopped based solely of their race or ethnicity," Nixon says. "I join with law enforcement officers from all parts of our state and with Missourians of all races in this commitment.

So far I’ve lost all battles of the strawberry war. The score so far is varmints 3, me none. The critters don’t even have the decency just to eat the plant and get it over with. Instead, they wait until just a day before ripeness and eat just the red portion of the immature fruit. Drives me nuts.

A fortress of old screen doors is bein’ planned and construction should begin soon.

I haven’t actually seen the scavengers committin’ their evil deed, but have watched as that pair of feathered reconnaissance operators carefully tested the defenses. They may be entirely innocent, but they look like pretty shady characters from my vantage point on the porch swing. My first hope, the cat, has no interest in guardin’ the garden. Or, maybe it has seen the enemy. Strawberry snatchin’ must be a terrible, scary thing to witness.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Carthage Printing

HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• "If you spill an egg on the floor, sprinkle salt on it. That way it will be easier to wipe up. The egg sticks together and doesn’t smear like it does without the salt." — April F. in Baton Rouge, La.

• "Keep a garbage can by the door to weed out junk mail before it ever gets into the house. I keep a basket by my bill pile for things I want to consider, like mail-order offers and such, but I get rid of junk mail out in the garage." — John McG. in Edinburgh, Pa.

• "After 30 years of homeownership and home repairs and renovation, here’s my tip: Unless you are really organized, just get rid of leftover supplies that can easily be purchased again. Things like partially used caulk tubes and overused paintbrushes just get lost and junk up your shop. And most people go out and buy new stuff at the beginning of a project anyway. I cleaned out my garage, and you wouldn’t believe the mountain of junk I had. Turns out I am not the only one. Lots of friends admit to their garages being the same way. Throw it out!" — Pete C. in Front Royal, Va.

• "For the summer, I fill a gym-size duffel bag with ‘spontaneity supplies’ and keep it in the trunk of my car. It includes swimsuits for all family members, a blanket and cups, plates and silverware for a picnic. Now, if we find we have some unexpected free time, we can go to the beach or pool, or have a picnic by just picking up some sandwich supplies from the closest grocery store!" — E-mail from North Carolina

• You can use a clean paper milk carton to pour batter for pancakes. The spout makes it easy to pour and reduces splatter.