NAACP leaders in Southwestern Ohio are asking police chiefs and county sheriffs to begin collecting data on the race, sex and ethnicity of people stopped or questioned by their officers.

        Louie Cox, president of the Middletown chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said that, so far, only a few police agencies have given them assurances that they will cooperate, NAACP officials said.

        Mr. Cox said he hopes noting the race of everyone stopped — not just those issued tickets — will show what is occurring on the street.

        Mr. Cox was one of 20 representatives from the NAACP's fourth district — which includes Cincinnati, Middletown, Fairfield, Hamilton, West Chester and Oxford — who met last week in Middletown to discuss racial profiling.

        The Middletown Police Department was among the first law enforcement agencies to respond to the NAACP's request. Talks with others are continuing.

        Cincinnati City Council in March outlawed racial profiling and required police to collect data on all traffic stops.

        Norma Holt-Davis, president of the Cincinnati NAACP, said branch leaders are resolved to get racial-profiling ordinances in cities and counties, particularly in Greene County, home of two historically black colleges — Wilberforce and Central State universities.

        Middletown Police Chief Bill Becker said he hopes noting the race of everyone stopped will support the department's position.

        “I don't believe that we have a problem with racial profiling in Middletown,” he said. “But I guess there's no real way of knowing that if we don't have the data available to check.”

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