Associated Press

GRAND RAPIDS — A newly released study shows that black drivers are twice as likely to be stopped by police than non-black drivers in Grand Rapids.

The 100-page Traffic Stop Data Analysis was released Tuesday at a town hall meeting, where over 100 community members gathered.

Lamberth Consulting surveyors observed different locations in the city and recorded drivers' demographics in those areas at random. Data was then compared to traffic stops made in those areas between 2013 and 2015.

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Out of the 20 locations analyzed, 16 showed problematic disparities for black drivers and five showed disparities for Hispanic drivers.

The study is part of City Manager Greg Sundstrom's 12-point plan to increase transparency in the Grand Rapids Police Department.

"Since the (2013-2015) data proves it, what will Grand Rapids tell the people who have been saying this for 40-50 years?" Kent County commissioner Robert Womack said at the meeting.

Sundstrom said city staff is disappointed in the study's results and that it's dedicated to stopping racial bias in Grand Rapids.

"Why we didn't wake up and listen to you, I don't know," he said. "But this is the highest priority at city hall and we'll keep doing studies and training until we fix this."

Police Chief David Rahinsky said the department has gone through implicit bias training as recommended by Sundstrom.

When asked if the officers racially profiling drivers could be reprimanded, Lamberth Vice President for Training Jerry Clayton said processes like this happen in stages.

"The last thing we want to do is jump to conclusions," he said. "We recommended the organization review data to drill down the officers and take corrective action."

Rahinsky said racism itself is not unique to policing and that it's prevalent in the private sector, schools, prisons and housing across the nation. He said he hopes that other cities will eventually "look to Grand Rapids to determine how to fix their issues."