[jtbigwoo]

>> I'll defend the parent comment by observing that we can reproduce this effect with non-judicial metrics, like "murder rate in majority foo-race communities". Assuming the reporting rate for murders is very high across the board, this escapes bias in both policing and conviction rates, and sends us back to other explanations.

A community has a fair amount of power in deciding where crime happens. The police (by policy or culture) can choose to push illegal activity to certain neighborhoods. If the police come down hard on drugs, prostitution, etc. in white neighborhoods, then that activity will move to non-white neighborhoods. The problems that come along with increased illegal activity, including higher murder rates, will be concentrated in non-white neighborhoods.