NCJ Number
203655
Date Published
February 2003
Length
182 pages
Annotation
This document assesses racial profiling for more than one minority group in Kansas.
Abstract
The study represents a multi-jurisdictional assessment of racial profiling by examining 10 different law enforcement agencies throughout the State. The original study plan was modified in time and in methodology due to the fact that most agencies did not collect information on stops, or did not uniformly or consistently collect such information. Comparisons were made between data collected from traffic stops and the appropriate benchmark of the motoring population in various locations. Due to its prevalence throughout the State, the Kansas Highway Patrol was selected for inclusion. Overland Park was selected because it already had obtained stop data that could be used and thus was chosen as the pilot site for the study. The other eight agencies were randomly selected from within small, medium, and large agencies State-wide. The results demonstrate that Kansas was experiencing profiling of Hispanic and Black motorists. While evidence of this was not apparent in all jurisdictions, seven assessed agencies had evidence of at least one of these two groups being targeted by police in traffic stops. In three of the seven jurisdictions, evidence of profiling of both Hispanic and Blacks was present. All 10 agencies assessed were asked for alternative explanations that were considered in interpreting findings of profiling. There was no evidence that supports the assertion that members of minority groups are more likely to violate traffic laws. Other findings are the higher proportion of young drivers that are stopped by police, and the sometimes-defensive posture of law enforcement in examining profiling. 64 tables, 14 maps, 69 footnotes, 9 references, appendix