Racial Bias in Motor Vehicle Searches: Theory and Evidence

Knowles, John A.; Persico, Nicola; Todd, Petra

doi:10.1086/318603

Cited by 537 publications

(451 citation statements)

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“…Over the course of time, if no bias exists, a state of equilibrium will develop in which the police search racial groups proportionately to their actual possession of contraband (Persico and Todd, 2008). At the point of equilibrium, it is only necessary to compare the search success rates of different racial groups to assess if there is a disparity between these groups (Knowles et al, 2001;Todd, 2006, 2008). The search success rate is calculated by dividing the number of searches in which officers seize some type of contraband (e.g.…”

Section: Post-stop Outcome Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis

Tillyer

Engel

Cherkauskas

2010

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies &Amp; Management

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Purpose -Within the last 15 years, law enforcement agencies have increased their collection of data on vehicle stops. A variety of resource guides, research reports, and peer-reviewed articles have outlined the methods used to collect these data and conduct analyses. This literature is spread across numerous publications and can be cumbersome to summarize for practical use by practitioners and academics. This article seeks to fill this gap by detailing the current best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis in state police agencies. Design/methodology/approach -The article summarizes the data collection techniques used to assist in identifying racial/ethnic disparities in vehicle stops. Specifically, questions concerning why, when, how, and what data should be collected are addressed. The most common data analysis techniques for vehicle stops are offered, including an evaluation of common benchmarking techniques and their ability to measure at-risk drivers. Vehicle stop outcome analyses are also discussed, including multivariate analyses and the outcome test. Within this summary, strengths and weaknesses of these techniques are explored. Findings -In summarizing these approaches, a body of best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis is developed. Originality/value -Racial profiling continues to be a contentious issue for law enforcement and the community. A considerable body of research has developed to assess the prevalence of racial profiling. This article offers social scientists and practitioners a comprehensive, succinct, peer-reviewed summary of the best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis.

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Section: Post-stop Outcome Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best practices in vehicle stop data collection and analysis

Tillyer

Engel

Cherkauskas

2010

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies &Amp; Management

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“…Statistical discrimination occurs when law enforcement officers are uncertain about whether a crime was committed but face the problem of how best to allocate scarce resources. Thus, if there are differences in a crime propensity according to readily observable characteristics (e.g., race or gender, it is rational for an agency to allocate more resources to groups; e.g., neighborhoods) for which crime rates are higher (Knowles et al, 2001; Anwar & Fang, 2006; Antonovics & Knight, 2009). One test of statistical discrimination is whether police equalize the rates at which a crime has been committed given that an investigation has been conducted—for example, the fraction of vehicle stops in which contraband is found.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Race, gender, and risk perceptions of the legal consequences of drinking and driving

Sloan

Chepke

Davis

2013

Journal of Safety Research

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Introduction This study investigated whether subjective beliefs about driving while intoxicated (DWI) consequences differ by race/gender. Method Beliefs affect driving behaviors and views of police/judicial fairness. The researchers compared risk perceptions of DWI using a survey of drinkers in eight cities in four states with actual arrest, conviction, and fine rates from court data in the same cities. Results With state arrest data as a benchmark, Black males were overly pessimistic about being stopped, whether or not actual drinking occurred, and attributed higher jail penalties to DWI conviction. That Black males overestimated jail sentences incurred by the general population suggests that they did not attribute higher jail penalties to racial bias. Arrest data did not reveal disparities in judicial outcomes following DWI arrest. Conclusions Blacks’ subjective beliefs about DWI consequences may reflect social experiences, which are not jurisdiction- or crime-specific; this is a challenge to policymakers aiming to deter DWI by changing statutes and enforcement.

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“…It is now relatively common for scholars to acknowledge the considerable and documented racial and ethnic bias in the criminal justice system, from police procedures, prosecutorial discretion, jury selection, and sentencing practices-of which racial profiling is but the tip of an iceberg (14)(15)(16). If the FBI's DNA database is primarily composed of those who have been touched by the criminal justice system and that system has engaged in practices that routinely select more from one group, there will be an obvious skew or bias toward this group in this database.…”

Section: Snp Patterns and Searches For A Biological Basis For Criminamentioning

confidence: 99%