Are Blacks, Latinos Pulled Over More In Bloomfield? Police Deny Study's Claims

Bloomfield, NJ – A group of Seton Hall law students’ claim that the Bloomfield Police Department may be “targeting” minority drivers for traffic enforcement efforts has drawn a sharp response from local law enforcement.

According to a report on Vice.com, the Seton Hall students based their claims on data they gathered while observing 70 hours of hearings and 855 ticketed individuals in Bloomfield traffic court.

The students assert that based on their observations, “black and Latino drivers are being disproportionately ticketed” and account for 78 percent of court appearances for traffic violations despite making up only 43 percent of Bloomfield's population.

In addition, the study notes that about 88 percent of tickets were given out in the southern portion of the township, which borders Newark and East Orange.

Vice.com published a video of several traffic stops conducted in the township and interviewed multiple drivers that were issued violations.

Watch the video and read the full report here.

However, Bloomfield authorities disputed the students’ conclusions and data source.

“Their entire analysis is based on 70 hours sitting in a courtroom," Bloomfield Police Director Samuel DeMaio told NJ.com. "To issue a scathing report of the entire police department seems irresponsible."

DeMaio told NJ.com that so far this year, the BPD has given out 678 tickets to Latinos, 672 tickets to whites and 684 to blacks.

In addition, DeMaio asserted that a larger percentage of tickets are issued in the southern part of town because of higher police presence, as 75 percent of the crimes in town are committed in that area.

"That's police work 101,” DeMaio told NJ.com. “If 75 percent of crime is in that part of town, that's where you put your resources."

Read the full report here.

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