NCJ Number
202819
Date Published
November 2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Based on information available in the Kentucky Vehicle Stops Database for 2001, this report summarizes limited and exploratory findings concerning the nature of vehicle stops conducted by the agencies participating in this project.
Abstract
The author cautions that the data presented cannot be used to draw conclusions about the presence or absence of biased policing and/or racial profiling within an agency or unit within an agency. The data are too limited and are only baseline information. This report is the first quantitative information regarding some of the characteristics of vehicle stops made by law enforcement agencies in Kentucky. Vehicle stops reported in the Kentucky Vehicle Stops Database totaled 311,393 between January 1 and December 31, 2001. Most of the agencies that contributed to the database were State law enforcement agencies (81 percent). The greatest portion (78 percent) of the stops were for traffic violations, with the remaining stops involving compliance (19 percent), courtesy (2 percent), and complaint/criminal (1 percent). Most of the drivers stopped were Caucasian (90 percent), and the remaining drivers were African-American (8 percent), Hispanic (2 percent), Asian-American (1 percent), and Native-American (.05 percent). The ethnic distribution of drivers within each type of stop reflects the distribution for total stops. Searches were conducted in 5 percent of all stops. Vehicle stops that involved Hispanic drivers (14 percent) were more likely than vehicle stops that involved African-American (6 percent), Caucasian (5 percent), or Asian-American (2 percent) drivers to result in a search. Searches that involved Caucasian (23 percent) and African-American (22 percent) drivers most often resulted in a positive finding. The average time of the stops made during 2001 was 13 minutes. Some of the recommendations based on these findings are that an attempt be made to determine what factors may be influencing the various trends related to stops that involve Hispanic drivers, that data collection and annual analysis be continued as a means of monitoring and imposing accountability, and that the data collection process be expanded to include qualitative information on police reactions to the strategies implemented to address racially biased policing. 6 tables and 4 charts