A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection Systems

1 A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection SystemsA Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection Department of JusticePromising Practices and Lessons LearnedThis document was prepared by Northwestern University, supported with funding from Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendationsexpressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent theofficial position or policies of the Department of Department of Justice950 pennsylvania Avenue , DC 20530 Janet RenoAttorney Department of JusticeWorld Wide Web Home grant and funding information Department of Justice Response Center1 800 421 6770A Resource Guide onRacial Profiling DataCollection SystemsPromising Practicesand Lessons LearnedDeborah RamirezJack McDevittAmy FarrellNortheastern UniversityMonographNovember 2000 NCJ 184768iiiA Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection SystemsForewordFor the past 8 years, we have seen a steady decline in the crime rate innearly every community in America.

2 Even with the advances in crimeprevention and law enforcement, however, there are instances in whichdistrust and tensions between the police and the community are high,and these tensions affect all aspects of the criminal justice system. Oneof the major causes of this mistrust is the controversial practice of guarantee to all persons of equal protection under the law is one of themost fundamental principles of our democratic society. Law enforcementofficers should not endorse or act upon stereotypes, attitudes, or beliefsthat a person s race, ethnicity, or national origin increases that person sgeneral propensity to act unlawfully. There is no tradeoff between effec-tive law enforcement and protection of the civil rights of all Americans;we can and must have of the ways that law enforcement agencies are addressing concernsand allegations regarding discriminatory policing is through data collec-tion.

3 By collecting information on the nature, character, and demographicsof police enforcement practices, we enhance our ability to assess the ap-propriate application of the authority and broad discretion entrusted tolaw June 1999, when President Clinton and Attorney General Renoconvened the conference Strengthening Police-Community Relationships,only a few jurisdictions including San Diego, San Jose, and the state ofNorth Carolina had voluntarily agreed to collect traffic-stop data. Whena followup meeting on Racial Profiling and data Collection was held thispast February, more than 100 jurisdictions indicated that they had plansto collect data on traffic or pedestrian encourage voluntary data Collection , the Department of Justice setabout developing a Resource Guide on this subject.

4 The result is this publi-cation, A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection Systems , preparedby staff of Northeastern University. This document provides an overviewof the nature of Racial Profiling ; a description of data Collection and itspurpose; current activities in California, New Jersey, North Carolina, andGreat Britain; and recommendations for the hope is that this Resource Guide will assist jurisdictions in developingand implementing their own data Collection Systems . Our ultimate goalsare to restore trust in the police and to ensure that all citizens are treatedequally by law enforcement E. GistDirectorBureau of Justice Department of JusticevA Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection SystemsAcknowledgmentsDeborah Ramirez, Jack McDevitt, and Amy Farrell would like to acknowl-edge the assistance of many individuals and agencies.

5 In particular, wethank Attorney General Janet Reno and the Department of Justice forsupporting research on Racial Profiling data Collection efforts. We appreci-ate the support of Richard Jerome, Deputy Associate Attorney General,and Karen Stevens, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, who facili-tated development of this project; the Bureau of Justice Assistance for pro-viding the resources for this research; and Northeastern University forenabling our involvement with this project. Most of all we are grateful tothe members of those law enforcement and state agencies who generouslyshared their time and knowledge with Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection SystemsChapter 1 1 Chapter 2 The Nature of the Problem of Racial 3 Defining Racial Profiling .

6 3 Nature and Extent of Perceptions of Racial Profiling .. 4 Evidence of Racial Profiling .. 5 Origin of Racial Profiling and the Complexities ofPolice Discretion .. 8 Chapter 3 General Description of Data Collection Goalsand 13 Data Collection Systems .. 13 Potential Challenges in Implementing a DataCollection System .. 14 Chapter 4 Study Site Experiences and 17 The San Jose Experience .. 17 The San Diego Experience .. 23 The North Carolina Experience .. 28 The New Jersey Experience .. 32 The Experience in Great Britain .. 37 Chapter 5 Recommendations for Traffic-Stop DataCollection 43 Local Task Force .. 43 Data Collection Pilot Program .. 44 Data Collection Design .. 44 Data Collection Elements.

7 44 Mechanisms for Ensuring Data Integrity .. 51 Data Analysis and Future Research .. 52 Chapter 6 Conclusion and 55 Contact 59 Contents1A Resource Guide on Racial Profiling Data Collection SystemsOn June 9 10, 1999, President Bill Clinton, Attorney General Janet Reno,civil rights leaders, police, and other government leaders participated inthe Strengthening Police-Community Relationships conference in Washington, During the conference, President Clinton called Racial Profiling a morally indefensible, deeply corrosive practice and further stated that Racial Profiling is in fact the opposite of good police work, where actionsare based on hard facts, not stereotypes. It is wrong, it is destructive, and itmust stop.

8 1 As a result of increased national concern over Racial Profiling ,the President directed federal agencies to begin gathering data on the raceand ethnicity of persons stopped for future a later session of the same conference, participants discussed the designand implementation of Racial Profiling data Collection Systems . That dis-cussion featured presentations by state and local jurisdictions where ef-forts were already under way to collect data on the race, ethnicity, andgender of the individuals police stop. This Guide is an outgrowth of thatbreakout session. As its title suggests, the Guide is designed to provide lawenforcement, state and local elected officials, civil rights leaders, commu-nity organizations, and other local stakeholders with strategies and prac-tices for gathering and analyzing data about police stops.

9 By providinginformation about the nature, characteristics, and demographics of policeenforcement patterns, these data Collection efforts have the potential forshifting the rhetoric surrounding Racial Profiling from accusations, anec-dotal stories, and stereotypes to a more rational discussion about the ap-propriate allocation of police resources. Well-planned and comprehensivedata Collection efforts can serve as a catalyst for nurturing and shaping thistype of community and police Guide is a blueprint that police and communities can use to developdata Collection Systems . It offers practical information about implementingthese Systems and analyzing the data. The Guide is not intended to serve asa comprehensive and thorough inventory of all existing data collectionsystems.

10 It focuses on providing detailed descriptions of data collectionefforts in a few selected sites: San Jose, California, which has designed asimple letter-code system allowing information to be collected verbally(via radio) or by computer; San Diego, California, which utilizes an onlinedata Collection system; North Carolina, the first state to collect data on traf-fic stops pursuant to state legislation; Great Britain, which uses a paper-based system to collect information on both traffic and pedestrian stopsand searches; and New Jersey, which is collecting information on traffic-stops pursuant to a consent decree with the Department of Justice(DOJ). These sites were first identified by DOJ in preparation for the con-ference and represent various population sizes and geographic 1 Introduction2 Site visits were later made to obtain further information about each site sdata Collection the conference, there has been a flurry of activity in this area andhundreds of jurisdictions have begun to initiate data Collection efforts.