Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops
A more detailed and identifiable dataset (see Recommendation 8 above) should be used to develop anti-bias, early intervention, and early-warning systems. Stop data for every officer should be reviewed to detect potential bias and to intervene to mitigate bias. Agency-wide aggregate data and the actions taken should be monitored to reduce disparate outcomes.
MORE ▸Detailed data on officer traffic stops should be collected at the agency and state levels and submitted to a centralized state repository. These data should include the time, date, and precise location of the stop, the reason for the stop, and the outcomes, including searches and searches incidental to arrest, contraband recovery, arrests and charges, and the…
MORE ▸Regular monitoring of traffic stop activity will ensure there is no bias or racially disparate impact and outcomes. This analysis should be conducted at both officer- and organizational-levels (e.g., by special assignment, districts) and be broader than basic stop data, including officer behavior captured via body-worn cameras.
MORE ▸To reduce negative interactions and potentially coercive situations, officers should receive training on using principles of procedural justice in traffic stops. Training should include skills in active listening, neutral and transparent decision-making, and demonstrating dignity and respect toward community members. Signed consent forms should be required prior to voluntary vehicle searches.
MORE ▸Implement a variety of evidence-based strategies to reduce traffic-related injuries and fatalities, particularly where they disproportionately occur among groups and within communities. Proposed frameworks include the Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) model, education campaigns, and roadway modification.
MORE ▸Alternative approaches to enforce traffic laws and improve roadway safety should be explored, including civilian-based organizations to enforce minor traffic and vehicle violations and respond to non-injury traffic collisions. Alternative strategies should be rigorously and independently evaluated for their impact on outcomes, including public safety and racially disparate impacts.
MORE ▸Policies and laws that encourage or allow pretextual stops for minor safety violations, such as items hanging from mirrors, lights out, and other minor mechanical issues, should be changed.
MORE ▸Agencies must stop the use of traffic stop volume as a performance measure. Agencies should instead rely on problem-solving approaches that use stops when and where data suggests that traffic-safety issues (collisions, complaints) or crime may be prevalent.
MORE ▸Traffic stops, while not always improving driver and pedestrian safety, must be reduced to decrease the criminalization of community members and racial and economic disparities. Alternative traffic-safety strategies focusing on high-risk behaviors, including automated tools and civilian-led traffic-safety enforcement. Alternative strategies should be rigorously evaluated to determine their effectiveness in reducing disparate impact and negative police-community…
MORE ▸