According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, drivers of color on Illinois streets and highways continue to be stopped at higher rates than White drivers.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) officials said they are seeing the same trends year after year.
In Springfield, Black drivers are five times more likely to be stopped by police in 2021, according to the data.
One in four drivers of color were reported to be searched, whereas one out of ten White drivers were, according to the data.
In 2021, Black drivers are about 1.7 times more likely to be stopped by police than White drivers across the state, according to the data
"It's unfortunate that we're dealing with those issues of race and racism in the city of Springfield," said Ken Page, president of Springfield ACLU.
According to the ACLU, drivers of color are often pulled over for low-level violations such as changing lanes without signaling or having a broken taillight.
Illinois police are required to record and report data about every driver, including the driver's race and the reason and outcome for the stop.
"It's important to focus on the fact that this racial inequality in who officers are stopping on our roads is really harmful to our communities of color and frankly to all of us because it erodes our community's trust in law enforcement," said Joshua Levin, staff attorney at ACLU Illinois.
Levin said he thinks this is a problem that can be solved.
"These stops are humiliating, they are an interruption in people's lives. They can lead to very invasive questioning and so this data just shows us what communities of color have been dealing with," Levin said.
Although Black drivers are far more likely to be stopped, they are less likely to have contraband found than White drivers.
“We want good policing in every community. That’s what our tax dollars pay for and hopefully, we can continue to get that but we want to improve those relationships between community and police," Page said.
Other areas that have these similar high stop rates include Peoria and Chicago.
The Springfield Police Department (SPD) has received requests for comment regarding the Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic Stop Study. Below is a statement from the SPD regarding this information.
It is the practice and policy of the Springfield Police Department to treat all persons in a fair, impartial, equitable, and objective manner, in accordance with the law, and without consideration of their individual demographics.
The IDOT Traffic Stop Study does not take into account the specific areas where stops are made and racial and ethnic makeup of those areas. Historically, the City of Springfield has experienced higher rates of gun violence on the City’s east side and the Springfield Police Department has focused enforcement efforts in this area to counter the gun violence and keep residents safe. The raw data collected by IDOT also does not account for unlicensed drivers, drivers who are not Springfield residents, or for individuals who are known offenders and are stopped more frequently. The Springfield Police Department is committed to reducing violent crime, and specifically gun crime in the Capitol City. Vehicles are often used in conjunction with gun violence, drug trafficking and other criminal activity, and traffic stops have been shown to be an effective tool at arresting offenders and recovering illegal drugs and firearms.
The Springfield Police Department will continue to provide relevant training to our officers to emphasize the agency’s commitment to unbiased, equitable treatment of all persons while enforcing the law and providing professional law enforcement service to all residents of Springfield.