SUPERIOR - The State of Wisconsin wants to know if minorities are pulled over more often.  A tele–conference Tuesday at WITC in Superior and other parts of the state set the stage for a study to determine if racial profiling exists in our law enforcement communities.

Beginning January first, 2011, every person pulled over in Wisconsin – and their passengers – will have their racial background recorded.  A state law passed last year mandates the program aimed at determining if bias exists in law enforcement.  Two previous commissions prompted the measure.

"The incarceration rate for people of color in Wisconsin leads the nation," says, Chris Ahmuty, Executive Director of the state ACLU.  He sits on a 17 person committee which overseas the project.

Police chiefs, in particular, will have a tool to address issues that may occur in their department," says Ahmuty.

But, those issues may not exist in the Northland, according to Superior Police captain, Matthew Markon.

"We don't have anywhere near the racial diversity that the southern part of the state has."

Not so, says Solon Springs resident, Tony De Perry.  He claims to have seen first–hand where people of color are pulled over without just cause.

"I've seen it happening with people i'm riding with and it's not fair."

A similar 2001 study in Minnesota found officers stopped and searched white drivers at lower rates than drivers of color and found contraband in searches of white drivers at a greater rate than in searches of drivers of color.

A 2003 Iowa report was inconclusive, reading the data did not provide clear or statistically significant evidence for or against the existence of racial profiling.

Once the information is collected, the data will be broken down to see if a disparity in traffic pull–overs exist anywhere.  If they do, then subsequent steps will be taken.

"People in charge of police officers in that jurisdiction will be taking some action to find out what the reason is and correct it, if necessary," says Ahmuty.

The data will be collected over a one year period.