Driving While Black in Flourtown?

Are Springfield Township police engaged in racial profiling? I drive often along Bethlehem Pike in Flourtown, just outside of Philadelphia in Montgomery County. For a few years I've often noticed police cars in one of the lanes with lights flashing and a car they've pulled aside and appear to be writing up tickets for. The drivers are uniformly African American which is strange because most of the drivers along the Pike are white. Because this phenomenon has been repeating itself I decided to have my camera ready. A few weeks ago a policeman vigorously motioned me away when I began to film from a distance. Yesterday I noticed yet another African American driver stopped again and butted my nose in. The officer told me he had stopped 7 other drivers, none black that day. My sampling hasn't been scientific BUT my observations are over the course of a few years. A Guatemalan friend ago who cleans houses in Flourtown reports she was stopped while walking along the street by a police officer who asked her if she was carrying a knife... I will keep my camera at the ready

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• racial
• profiling
• drivers
• erdenheim
• flourtown
• springfield
• township
• black
• african
• american
• montgomery
• county
• pennsylvania

[buhrayin]

A lot of good comments here. I would not for a minute have approached the driver or the car if I felt any alarm. The car looked in fine condition, the driver relaxed and not under the influence. For all I knew the driver could have been just another Philadelphia politician ignoring traffic laws. If the police were as aggressive combating crime as they are patrolling Bethlehem Pike it would be a safer world. I think ticketing is a revenue thing for Springfield Township. Why tax your own?

[yoyo762]

Some idiot walks into a legal stop. Most times the cop would arrest him immediately for interfering with a stop. I mean DUH, its a police stop. What makes this idiot think he can intervene in a police activity? Does he think he is Batman or something?? Maybe this driver, this black driver just killed a child pedestrian.

This guy sounds like some crusader for negros. Apparently he doesn't understand that blacks DO commit a disproportionately high rate of crimes. Thats why they get stopped.

[jesse5284]

I'm a white guy and I have lived in Springfield Township for a year now. I was pulled over for speeding on Bethlehem Pike while driving past the St Genevieve school. I was new to the area so the cop just gave me a warning. I had no idea that school was even there and I was probably only doing about 40mph. I have seen multiple people pulled over for the same thing. I'm not saying that you're wrong, just saying that if you break the rules, you get pulled over.

[Mindbattler]

well all you did is highlight that blacks apparently break the law more often...thanks?

[Gena115]

I drive through Flourtown/Sprinfield on a daily basis. I have seen on a daily *WHITE* woman and men pulled over for speeding thru this particular school zone. I don't think for one minute it's a racial issue. You want to get a point across, but don't do it at the expense of your life or any of those officers!!! This could have turned out very differently for the both of you.You took all of his attention away giving any suspect clear opportunity to ambush this cop and even YOU!!!

[RUAFOOL1]

Hey Jack, The officer I think was trying to convey to the videographer that it's not too smart to just walk up to the driver and ask "what's going on?" The dope with the camera is assuming that the driver was stopped for a traffic violation. What if he was suspected of robbing a store and was armed. That could have turned into a bad situation..

[RUAFOOL1]

Way to go genius!! Just walk right up to a motorist AFTER he's been stopped by the police on the assumption that it was for a traffic violation. That's a good way of getting shot, don't ya think? The cop should have arrested you for stupidity...(Post this)

[RUAFOOL1]

You must not be to bright! You just assumed that this motorist was stopped for a traffic violation? You just walked right up to the driver and handed him your card? That's a good way of getting shot. I applaud the officer for not cuffing you for interfering with his duties..

[Spikem141]

You are so ignorant and deserve to in accident with one these "ordinary" people who are driving under suspended drivers licenses. Then you will complain that the police weren't doing their job. Get a life and a real job!

[jackthenigger]

HE COULD BE A FELON? So every black man has to prove he's not a felon? At least the redneck is honest, usually they lie and deny their profiling.