‘Baby steps’ fighting racial disparities

Is racial disparity an issue in Iowa City? Unequivocally, yes.

Are we doing things to address these disparities? Well not as much as we should be doing, but we are taking baby steps.

One of these steps is our response to a recent six-year study of traffic stops made by the Iowa City Police Department showing racial disparity in the number of those stops. I was able to talk to a number of people in the community about the findings and the resounding response I received was 'big whoop!” I totally understand that response because of the prior evidence to this point.

There was a study conducted by the Coalition for Racial Justice highlighting racial disparity across several important areas of community life, an ACLU report highlighting extreme disproportionality in marijuana arrests, an Ad Hoc Diversity Committee which collected countless stories about how minority groups were being disproportionately treated. When you have all those pointing to racial disparity in our area and along comes yet another study highlighting it, the community has reason to stand up and say, 'Tell me something I don't know!”

However, the importance is in the details.

What made this most recent study particularly interesting is that we finally have data that we can all agree upon. This was a study conducted by our police department showing disproportionality. It is one thing to dismiss or respond with apathy to other studies, but this study was our

study. Furthermore, the study will continue and Iowa City Police officers made aware that this data is being collected. What does that mean? Well we should see a drop in racial disparity of traffic stops. I focus on the word 'should” because that is what I expect, based on the results of a similar study conducted in Dubuque.

In that study, data - collected without patrol officers' knowledge of the study - also revealed a high rate of disproportionality in traffic stops. The study continued, only this time officers knew the data was being collected. Once the police were aware that this data was being collected, the city saw a decrease in its disproportionate contact in traffic stops. We need that type of decrease in the number here and I'm happy to say that this is something (albeit small), finally, that should push us in the right direction.

How can local people get involved in this effort? Continue to make this an issue. The public needs to come out in droves and put pressure on local officials (me and others) to do something. I know I need to do a better job of notifying people when important issues like this come up at a work session or formal meeting, but I also need help.

One of the most interesting things I have noticed, being a new member on the Iowa City Council, is how much public input some neighborhood issues (for example, adding a stop sign) will bring about - at council meetings and in my email inbox - but discussions regarding racial disparity and affordable housing only have the usual suspects in the crowd. More participation is necessary for us to succeed on these issues.

Are traffic stops the only issue where racial disparity exists? No. There is racial disparity in employment, housing, and other areas. Racial disparity is a national problem in all of the aforementioned areas, but that does not mean that it has to be a problem here.

I love Iowa City and what it has to offer makes it unique to every other place that I've lived. However, we can do better. At least, I sincerely hope we can.

' Kingsley Botchway II is a member of the Iowa City Council. Contact: Kingsley-Botchway@iowa-city.org