Study: Black people in Myrtle Beach area six times more likely to be arrested for pot

BY ALEX LANG

Black individuals are six times more likely to be arrested in Horry County for marijuana possession than white people, according to the latest study by the ACLU.

The American Civil Liberties Union analyzed data submitted by police agencies to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting system for its report released this week.

The organization determined Horry County ranked third among South Carolina counties with the largest racial disparities in marijuana arrests. There are approximately 2,931 black people arrested per 100,000 black people compared to 431 white individuals for every 100,000 white individuals.

That means black people are 6.8 times more likely to be arrested in Horry County.

Nationally, black people are 3.64 times more likely to be arrested, according to their study.

Neither Horry County police spokeswoman Mikayla Moskov nor Myrtle Beach Cpl. Thomas Vest responded to questions regarding why blacks are arrested at a higher rate in Horry County, if the departments were aware of the disparity or if any changes are being done to address the issue.

For Horry County police, there was a total of 295 marijuana possession arrests in 2018, according to the data submitted to the FBI. With 2018 being the most recent year of data, of those arrests, 178 were white and 115 were black.

But, there are approximately 290,000 white people and 44,000 black people in Horry County based on the latest U.S. Census data. That means when the rate is figured across 100,000 people of the same race, black people are arrested more often for marijuana possession in the county.

During 2018 in Myrtle Beach, there were 680 black people arrested for marijuana possession and 518 white people arrested. Roughly 4,800 people are black in Myrtle Beach’s 34,000 population, according to the Census data.

Mickey James, head of the Myrtle Beach branch of the NAACP, wasn’t shocked by the findings.

“I don’t think it’s really surprising,” he said.

Mickey said the biggest issue is profiling by police. It is something he said he’s experienced while living in a lower-income area of Myrtle Beach. James said he has been stopped and questioned by officers but has not been arrested.

“That has got to stop,” James said.

While racial profiling must end and better education is needed in police ranks, James said the black community has to do a better job teaching the younger generation that drug use isn’t tolerated and that they are under a microscope.