Profs. Frase and Orfield and Research Director Ruhland Quoted in Star Tribune About Racial Disparities in Arrests

Professors Richard Frase and Myron Orfield and research director at the Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Ebony Ruhland, were quoted in a Star Tribune article examining racial disparities in Twin Cities arrests in the wake of new crime data that reveals a disparity in arrests of blacks when compared to the city's population makeup. “There are not studies out there today that readily document overt racial bias,” said Prof. Frase. “But there is study after study after study out there demonstrating implicit racial bias when it comes to decisionmaking at every stage of Minnesota’s criminal justice system." Prof. Orfield said that when the statewide study on racial profiling—conducted by the Institute on Metropolitan Opportunity—was released 13 years ago, the area surrounding St. Anthony “was one of the worst we found” for racial profiling, meaning that nonwhites were more likely to be stopped or arrested without sufficient cause. He added that relying on arrest data is not the best way to prove racial profiling, though, noting that "there's a lot of quick and dirty analysis being done." Ruhland, who previously worked at the nonprofit Council on Crime and Justice, said she welcomes more data. “We can’t deny that profiling does happen. … We need to change police practices.”