Reducing pretextual stops leads to more equitable traffic policing
By: KELLI L. ROSS
SAINT PAUL, MN — In America today, traffic stops are the primary way that police officers interact with the communities they serve. Nationwide, it is estimated that 20 million people are involved in traffic stops every year. From March 2018 to September 2022, in Ramsey County, Minnesota, alone, there were approximately 200,000 of these police-civilian interactions. Research shows that Black people are disproportionately stopped for minor infractions, such as minor equipment violations or expired tags.
Far too often, these interactions can turn deadly for both civilians and law enforcement. Since 2017, at least 800 people in the U.S. have been killed in interactions that began with a traffic stop.
In September 2021, Ramsey County law enforcement leaders announced they would reduce minor, non-public safety traffic stops to reduce racial inequities, engender community trust, and better prioritize the use of law enforcement resources. Justice Innovation Lab (JIL) partnered with the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office (RCAO) in April 2022 to study the impact of this policy change.
Today, JIL joined the Ramsey County law enforcement leaders and Vera Institute of Justice in Saint Paul to release the findings in the “Traffic Stop Policy in Ramsey County, MN” report. (Read a report executive summary.)
The analysis finds that the new traffic stop policy successfully reduced minor, non-safety-related vehicle violation stops, that this reduction narrowed racial differences in traffic stops and searches, and that the policy had no discernible effect on public safety.
“This independent research shows we not only greatly reduced the unequal treatment of many in our community due to these stops, but also that law enforcement has been able to move scarce resources to more serious issues,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. “At the same time police-community relations are being strengthened through the alternative notice letter and financial assistance program we’ve developed. I’m grateful to all of our partners in this work, particularly all the police chiefs who have provided leadership in trying new approaches to both build community trust and improve public safety.”
This JIL report analyzes the impact of the policy change using data collected by the Ramsey County Emergency Communications Center for traffic stops and 911 calls, and firearm seizure data provided by the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD).
“Policies like this show how a data-informed, collaborative problem-solving approach can improve law enforcement performance and achieve more equitable outcomes, without negatively impacting public safety,” said Jared Fishman, Founding Executive Director of Justice Innovation Lab, and author of Fire on the Levee: The Murder of Henry Glover and the Search for Justice after Hurricane Katrina. “Ramsey County is leading the way in taking a more thoughtful approach to building a more effective and fair public safety system.”
Key Findings:
Prior to this policy implementation, Black drivers were four times more likely to be stopped and nine times more likely to be searched than white drivers for minor, non-public-safety, vehicle violations in Ramsey County.
Non-public-safety traffic stops by policy-aligned police departments were reduced by 86% and searches were reduced by 92%.
There were significant decreases for all racial groups, though this policy had the greatest impact for Black drivers. For all Ramsey County police departments combined, Black drivers had a decrease in non-public-safety stops of 66% and a decrease in searches stemming from these stops of 85%, on a per capita basis.
On average, the SPPD seized a firearm during only 0.8% of all traffic stops (0.9% before policy implementation, 0.7% after)
“By reducing minor, non-safety-related vehicle equipment violation stops, we decrease the risk of unnecessary confrontations between civilians and police while also addressing a major source of racial differences in how Black and White people interact with police,” Fishman said. “Our research further shows that reducing these types of stops has no discernible effect on crime. The time savings allows officers to focus their time and attention on more pressing public safety matters.”
Review resources from the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office.
