Cops in 4 of NJ's Blackest Cities Are Now Conducting Coronavirus Traffic Stops

In case you’re wondering how police were going to use the coronavirus epidemic to target black people, don’t worry, someone is already on it. Even though a stay-at-home order is in effect for the entire state of New Jersey, four neighboring police forces have united to prevent black residents from doing what public health expert and noted double necklace-wearer, Tauheed Epps, called “ridin’ round and gettin’ it.”

The plan to enforce the statewide stay-the-fuck-at-home edict involves police in three of New Jersey’s five blackest cities teaming up with cops in the city with the state’s biggest African-American population. Cops from the four cities have been stationed at the borders of adjacent towns to prevent the spread of coronavirus by asking drivers to complete a one-question medical questionnaire with a procedure that NJ.com describes as such:

“Police in Newark, Orange, East Orange and Irvington will stop drivers to ask where they’re going.”

Seems legit.

Curiously, four cities in Essex County have higher populations than Orange, but are much whiter, which means they don’t need to be stopped at the border before they spread coronavirus to black people. Newark has the state’s biggest black population while East Orange (88.6 percent black), Irvington (85.6 percent black) and Orange (72.7 percent black) rank two, four and five on the list of New Jersey cities with the highest percentage of African-American residents.

Drivers will face summonses if they are found to have violated the stay-at-home order banning all non-essential travel. Some 1,018 vehicles were stopped at the Newark border to Irvington on Tuesday night alone, according to Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose. Two hundred of the people who were pulled over were out for non-essential reasons and were ordered to go back home. None of the drivers were ticketed on the first night of the racial profiling health initiative, but police say they will be issued summons going forward.

Y’all be safe out there.

Unless you live in Essex County, N.J., in which case…

Be white.