NCJ Number
202992
Date Published
September 2003
Length
101 pages
Annotation
This document discusses the appropriate benchmark for the analysis of racial profiling.
Abstract
There has been increased awareness of the issue of racial profiling in the past decade. One of the major issues in data analysis has been in determining the appropriate benchmark or standard to which the stop data are to be compared. This study employed what is considered the most appropriate benchmark for such an analysis -- a measure of the transient population in the local area. Four questions were addressed in this study: (1) whether there was evidence of racial profiling in Santa Cruz County; (2) which minority groups were targeted; (3) which locations the profiling was likely to occur in; and (4) whether there were special circumstances that might be interpreted as biased policing. The study was conducted with the assistance of five agencies, each of which had been engaged in voluntary stop data collection programs. Each agency provided a minimum of 1 year of traffic stop data; motor vehicle stops that were under the law enforcement officer's discretion. A minimum of three benchmark locations in each jurisdiction was selected for analysis; 21 locations were selected countywide. These locations were selected due to the high number of stops at each, and traffic patterns that were relatively representative of the jurisdiction, as well as accessibility for surveyors. Traffic surveys on randomly selected days and times at each location were conducted over a 6 week period by highly trained surveyors. These surveys provided the benchmark data to which stop data for that location was to be compared. The results of the study provide very little evidence for targeting of Hispanics in Santa Cruz County. At most locations, the proportion of Hispanic stops was very close to what one would expect based upon their presence in the transient population. There were too few stops involving Black motorists countywide for meaningful statistical analyses to be conducted. It was recommended that Santa Cruz County continue its stop data collection efforts, and start the process of considering post-stop activity, particularly searches. 2 appendices