African Americans Account For 4 Of 5 Arrests Made In DC: Report: African Americans make up slightly more than half the population of Washington, D.C., but they account for nearly 80 percent of arrests in the city, and 90 percent of drug arrests, says a new report by a group of civil rights lawyers.
According to the Washington Lawyers' Committee, arrest statistics from 2009 through 2011 reveal a "remarkable disparity" between the number of arrests of whites and blacks in D.C.
The report notes that drug arrests -- 60 percent of which were for simple possession -- were particularly high among blacks, despite evidence showing that blacks are no more likely to use drugs than whites. Of every 10 people arrested for drug crimes in the years covered by the report, nine were black, according to the study.
The authors conclude that these arrest patterns may have "significant implications" for the black community in the city.
