New Data Show Conn. Police Still Stopping Minority Drivers at High Rates

New data show Connecticut police are still stopping black and Hispanic drivers at disproportionately high rates.

Researchers at Central Connecticut State University released the new information Tuesday, under a state law aimed at preventing racial profiling.

The data from traffic stops made by all police agencies in the state from Oct. 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015, show that 14 percent of the drivers were black and 12 percent were Hispanic. The U.S. Census Bureau says about 8 percent of Connecticut's population is black and 9.7 percent is Hispanic.

The percentages of traffic stops of minorities are slightly higher than those from Oct. 1, 2013, to Sept. 30, 2014 - the first full year that motor vehicle data was collected under a new system.