Ladue Police Dept
The population “estimates” traditionally used in the Vehicle Stop Report (VSR) are not a true reflection of the racial diversity represented in Ladue on any given day and do not take into consideration the population of the surrounding area. As stated in the Attorney General's report, ”the Disparity Index is highly problematic because: i) it is sensitive to the choice of the benchmark population; ii) as a ratio, it is affected by changes in both the numerator and denominator; and iii) it is not meaningful to compare the Disparity Index across communities with different percentages of minority populations.” Ladue is home to several major thoroughfares, which are used to connect Ladue to people from all over St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and throughout Missouri. I-170 and US 64/40 both travel through Ladue, along with several city streets which all carry tens of thousands of vehicles through Ladue daily. The transitory population is far contrasting to the residential population and is more reflective of the demographics of this State and St. Louis County. Our concern is that the residential data used in the VSR varies greatly and does not provide an accurate account of the diverse transitory population that truly represents the diversity within the City of Ladue at any given time. Simply using St. Louis County, the State of Missouri, or any surrounding jurisdiction's population percentages would drastically change the outlook of the Disparity Index and would more accurately reflect our department's continued commitment to fair and impartial policing.