Burlington Police Department Racial Disparities in Traffic Policing - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Burlington Police Department Racial Disparities in Traffic Policing Stephanie Seguino University of Vermont and Nancy Brooks Cornell University

Focus of analysis • The analysis concentrates on traffic stops and outcomes that are the result of officer discretion . • We therefore ignore externally generated stops & arrests on a warrant.

Four indicators 1. Stop rates by race compared to racial shares of the population 2. Share of outcomes that lead to: • Ticket (versus a warning) • Arrest • Search 3. Searches that yield contraband 4. Officer disparities in stop rates

The data • Results for 2012 - 2015 – Averages for 2012-2015. – Annual trends from 2012 to 15 – Focus on white and black outcomes.

2012-15 Whites Blacks Hispanics Asians Share of Traffic 87.2% 7.9% 0.7% 4.1% Stops Share of 88.2% 4.5% 5.4% Population 28.2% 35.9% 27.9% 25.9% Ticket rate 69.4% 61.6% 70.3% 72.0% Warning rate 1.2% 1.4% 0.8% 1.1% Arrest rates 1.1% 3.3% 5.0% 0.1% Search Rate “Hit” Rate 63.5% 46.2% 28.6% 0.0%

Blacks as share of stops and population, 2012-15 10% 9.5% 9% 8% 7.5% 7.4% 7.3% 7% 6% 5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4.5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 Blacks as share of stops Blacks as share of population

Investigatory Stops by Race 100% 88.2% 90% 79.0% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 18.8% 20% 5.4% 4.5% 10% 1.7% 0% White Black Asian Share of population Share of investigatory stops

Black and white ticket rates 45% 41.4% 40% 38.1% 35% 33.4% 30.4% 30% 29.8% 28.3% 28.2% 26.4% 25% 20% 2012 2013 2014 2015 Whites Blacks

Black and white arrest rates 3.0% 2.5% 2.4% 2.0% 2.0% 1.6% 1.5% 1.2% 1.2% 1.1% 1.0% 0.9% 0.8% 0.5% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 White Black

Black, Asian, and white search rates 7.0% 6.3% 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.5% 2.5% 2.4% 2.0% 1.6% 1.2% 1.0% 0.9% 0.7% 0.0% 2012 2013 2014 2015 White Black Asian

Black and white “hit” rates: All outcomes 80% 74.3% 70% 65.1% 61.9% 60% 60.0% 55.1% 50% 50.0% 42.9% 40% 36.4% 30% 20% 2012 2013 2014 2015 White Blacks

“Hit” rates that result in arrest or ticket (excludes warnings) 50% 47.6% 45% 44.7% 40% 40.0% 37.1% 35% 33.3% 31.0% 30% 27.3% 25% 20% 20.0% 15% 10% 2012 2013 2014 2015 Whites Blacks

Data Quality: Missing data (includes “unknowns”) 4.8% 5% 5% 4% N=1,135 3.3% 4% 3% 3% 2.1% 1.9% 1.8% 1.7% 2% 2% 1.2% 1% 1% 0% Missing Missing Missing Missing Missing Missing Missing Age Race Sex Reason Result Search Search Outcome

Blacks as % of stops by officer, ranked high to low, 80 stops+ 18% 16% % of stops with perceived black driver 14% 12% 10% Black share of population = 4.5% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75 77

Black Males as % of Stops by Officer, 80+ 25% 20% % Black Males 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55

How Does Burlington Compare? Black search rates/White search rates, 2012-15 6.0 5.0 5.2 5.0 4.6 4.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.0 1.5 1.6 1.0 0.0

Raw Data for 2012-15 All Years White Black Asian Hispanic 5,571 671 238 47 Tickets 13,709 1,151 662 111 Warnings 235 26 10 0 Arrests 189 52 1 7 Searches Hits (searches w/contraband) & ticket or 77 16 0 0 arrest Hits (searches w/contraband) & warning, 120 24 0 2 ticket, or arrest Hit despite No Search 42 1 4 0 recorded