Latinos disproportionately stopped by Suffolk police for traffic violations, civil rights group's study says

A new analysis of traffic stop data showed "troubling disparities" in how Latino drivers are treated on Suffolk roads, according to a Manhattan civil rights organization that has accused the county’s police department of bias in the past.

The report, released by LatinoJustice PRLDEF and Milbank LLP, a law firm that sued the county on behalf of the organization, said Latinos accounted for 29% of the department’s 158,000 traffic stops in 2024 but make up just 22% of Suffolk’s population.

The report said Latinos are more likely to receive a summons, rather than a warning, when stopped for the same reasons as white drivers. Latino drivers were more often ordered out of their vehicles without clear justification.

Police were also more likely to conduct searches of Latinos without finding contraband, which the report said indicates lower thresholds of suspicion. The analysis was conducted by Jessica Tyler, a data scientist who has worked with the Harris County Public Defender’s Office in Texas.

"These findings confirm what the Latino community in Suffolk County has said for years, that they are policed more harshly simply because of who they are," said Andrew Case, supervising counsel at LatinoJustice. "The data shows not only that Latino drivers are disproportionately stopped, but also that once they are stopped, they are treated more severely."

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said in a statement Monday: "Traffic enforcement is essential to roadway safety, one of the department's top priorities. We analyze and publish traffic stop data regularly and an independent third-party vendor analyzes the data to ensure bias-free policing.

"The Latino Justice report itself advises caution when comparing stop data to county demographics, and its own analysis found no disproportionality using the veil of darkness test," the statement continued. "Enforcement is often focused in high-crash areas and outcomes often reflect serious violations including drivers who are unlicensed, driving unregistered vehicles, speeding in excess of 20 mph over the speed limit, or who commit multiple violations. We continuously review traffic stop data and body camera footage to ensure fair and equitable enforcement."

A study conducted for the department that was released in February said racial bias did not play a significant factor in Suffolk traffic stops.

That report, prepared by Stonewall Analytics of Idaho, used the "veil of darkness" test, which assumes officers are least able to discern a driver’s race and ethnicity at night. The report said there was no significant relationship between daylight stops and the likelihood of stopping minority drivers compared to white drivers.

LatinoJustice and other community organizations were skeptical of the findings, saying the conclusions were based on inadequate research.

The Suffolk County Police Department was required to hire a third party to analyze traffic stop data as part of a 2023 settlement with LatinoJustice, which accused the agency of widespread discrimination against Latinos in a 2015 lawsuit.

The settlement also included the creation of precinct advisory boards and equipping officers with body cameras.

The agreement also called for Suffolk to pay $75,000 to 20 plaintiffs named in the lawsuit. The suit was originally brought on behalf of Latino residents of Suffolk who were victims of race-based stops, detentions and other harassment, according to the 2015 complaint.

The lawsuit argued that police engaged in discriminatory conduct even after the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation into the department in the wake of a fatal attack on Marcelo Lucero, an immigrant from Ecuador who was killed by a group of teens in 2008 in Patchogue.

Suffolk police entered an agreement to reform its policies with the Department of Justice in 2014. In August, the DOJ terminated its oversight of the agency, saying it had achieved substantial compliance with the agreement.