LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Louisville Metro Police Department officers searched Black drivers more than twice as often as white drivers last year and were less likely to find anything illegal when they did, according to internal records obtained by WDRB.
The data, drawn from a report produced by Sigma Squared — a data firm LMPD hired for $350,000 — found Black drivers were searched 133% more often than white drivers overall. When controlling for similar factors such as age and location, the disparity narrowed but persisted: Black drivers were still searched 66% more often than white drivers in comparable situations.
The report also found discretionary searches of Black drivers produced an 11% lower hit rate — meaning officers found illegal items less often — compared to searches of white drivers in similar circumstances. The report’s own language described the pattern as reflecting “inefficient and potentially biased discretionary search decisions.”…