Racial Profiling in Traffic Stops: An Investigation of Race/Ethnicity and Minor Traffic Violations

Abstract

The perception of disparate traffic enforcement actions by police, commonly referred to as racial profiling, has eroded trust between police departments and the communities they serve. In an effort to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in traffic stops and build trust between police and citizens, several U.S. cities have passed legislation that discourages or prohibits police officers from conducting traffic stops for minor traffic violations such as a broken taillight. To date, there is limited research on whether these policies will effectively reduce overall racial and ethnic disparities in traffic stops. Using traffic stop information collected from more than 18,000 traffic stops in Douglas County, Kansas in 2020 and 2021, we examine whether persons of color are more likely to be cited and searched for “minor” traffic violations. The findings show mixed results, which provides partial support for these policies, but highlights the need to examine other strategies aimed at reducing racial and ethnic disparities in traffic stops.