Florida Cops Give 80 Percent of Bike Tickets to Black People

Police in Florida gave eight out of ten of bike tickets to African Americans—in a city where a quarter of the population is Black.

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A study by the U.S. Department of Justice released Tuesday found that Tampa police targeted "poor, majority black neighborhoods and that bicycle infractions were often used as a guise to check riders for other types of criminal activity."

The department began its investigation after the Tampa Bay Times first reported the discrepancy, noting an unusually high number of tickets for minor infractions.

The paper reported that some people were stopped three times in a day for infringements like riding without a light, carrying a friend on handlebars or not having a receipt to prove ownership of the bike.

One woman, for instance, was slapped with a US$51 fine for walking her bike with a plate of fish and grits, without a light.

"This is not a coincidence," Police Chief Jane Castor told the Tampa Bay Times. "Many individuals receiving bike citations are involved in criminal activity."

She added that bikes have "become the most common mode of transportation for criminals” because of the crackdown on auto theft.

The investigation, though, found that only 20 percent of those ticketed were arrested, most for misdemeanors like trespassing, drug possession or even refusing to sign a ticket.