CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) _ A panel meeting this month will explore the question of whether whites and minorities are treated differently by the police.
Panelists including Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster, state NAACP President Kenneth Hale and Ronald Hampton of the National Black Police Association will meet Thursday at West Virginia State University to discuss the issue.
The state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is one of the sponsors of the forum, has made racial profiling a focus.
A Legislature-commissioned report this year showed that minority motorists were 1.5 times more likely to be stopped and twice as likely to be searched than white motorists.
The study also found that whites were more likely to have drugs and other contraband than either blacks or Latinos.
___
Information from: The Charleston Gazette,
http://www.wvgazette.com
No Comment