WDRB News reporter Gil Corsey recently obtained data revealing significant racial disparities in Louisville Metro Police Department traffic stops and searches, and he joined the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting to discuss the findings and their broader context.

According to the interview, Corsey obtained documents through a public records request that show officers search Black drivers more than twice as often as white drivers — yet find contraband less frequently in those searches. The data came from Sigma Squared, a data analytics company that Louisville Metro Council approved in a 19-4 vote in February 2025 with a $350,000 contract.

The findings have prompted sharp reactions. The city's Inspector General called the findings "alarming" and demanded that police officials release more details, identify officers responsible for disparities and develop corrective action plans.

Police Chief Paul Humphrey, meanwhile, has contended that racial disparities in crime make disparities in traffic stops unavoidable, citing disproportionate crime victimization rates among Black residents. The department also noted that the data lacks context about situational factors in individual stops.

Corsey's investigation adds historical perspective to the issue. He found the disparity has grown over time: Black residents made up 28% of traffic stops in a 2013-2014 University of Louisville study, 34% in a 2019 report following a controversial traffic stop, and now approximately 48% in the latest Sigma Squared analysis — meaning half the city's traffic stops target about one-fifth of the population.

The reporter noted community responses have been mixed, with some residents saying the data confirmed long-standing concerns while others emphasized elevated crime rates in predominantly Black neighborhoods and the need for increased police presence.