NCJ Number
222248
Journal
Policing Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: 2008 Pages: 19-35
Date Published
2008
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Based on data obtained from a Midwestern U.S. police department, this study examined whether the number of motor vehicle stops were randomly distributed across all officers or were concentrated among a relatively small percentage of officers (the "repeat phenomenon").
Abstract
Data analysis revealed that motor vehicle stops were not randomly distributed among officers, but rather showed a significant concentration of motor vehicle stops among 4 percent of the officers, who accounted for 48 percent of the motor vehicle stops. Situational variables such as reason for the stop and the time of the stop were significant predictors of high-performing officers. High-performing officers tended to engage in traffic-related rather than crime-related stops. Traffic stops compared to crime-related stops take less time, tend to occur in districts with high volumes of traffic, and during shifts when there is more traffic on the road. Future research should focus on distinguishing between situational variables (i.e., traffic volume and shift time) and the behaviors, attitudes, and motivations of individual officers that may influence the frequency of motor vehicle stops among officers. Data on motor vehicle stops were obtained from contact cards on motor vehicle stops completed by police officers between July 1, 2001, and December 31, 2001. Contact cards contained information on the reason for the stop, the driver, passengers, the motor vehicle, and the officer who made the stop. A Poisson process and logistic regression were used in the analysis. 5 tables and 45 references