The Mountain Times

VSP Traffic Stop Data Collection Report, Bias Not Indicated by VSP Enforcement

The Vermont State Police released a voluntary report Feb. 15 identifying and evaluating possible racial disparities in traffic enforcement practices by its members.

"We applaud the efforts of the state police to collect, analyze and release the data contained in this report for one very important reason," said Curtiss Reed, Executive Director Vermont Partnership. "Their decision to undertake this effort was voluntary, transparent and not precipitated by any particular critical incident. This decision, we believe, demonstrates Vermont's top law enforcement leadership acting with methodical intention to improve the professionalism of state troopers to serve everyone fairly."

The data reflects traffic stops between July 2010 through June 2011. Prepared by Jack McDevitt, Ph.D. of the Institute on Race and Justice with Northeastern University, the report provides data analysis on overall traffic enforcement practices by the Vermont State Police and data on traffic enforcement by motorist's age, gender, and race.

Highlights of the report indicate that Vermonters are issued a warning 56% of the times they are stopped; compared to Illinois, for example, where more than 60% of drivers stopped in that state received a citation. State police stop very few drivers of color (4.4%) when compared to a state population which is 5.7% non-white. VSP troopers also conduct relatively few searches, initiating searches in only 1% of all traffic stops. Of these searches troopers find contraband 73% of the time; which far exceeds the national rate of search hits (5 - 30%.)

"Overall we are satisfied with the evaluation of our traffic enforcement practices," said Colonel Tom L'Esperance, Director Vermont State Police. "And we understand that data analysis is a tool, rather than a definitive answer; however we are still encouraged that this first step in data collection does not indicate any inherent or systematic bias by Vermont State Police troopers."

One area in which the data reflects a disparity of race or ethnicity is that non-white drivers were more likely to receive a ticket when compared to white drivers (52% vs. 42%). Non-white drivers were also more likely to be searched compare to white drivers. However, fewer of the non-white searches found contraband. And while neither disparity necessarily indicates biased policing by state troopers, the Vermont State Police will continue collecting traffic stop data, to develop a more comprehensive view of potential racial bias.

"The data clearly indicate that the Vermont State Police had not engaged in racial profiling for the time period collected," said Curtiss Reed, Executive Director Vermont Partnership. "However it does indicate the need for greater personal scrutiny of implicit bias by state troopers in their discretionary powers to issue citations versus warnings to motorists. We strongly recommend that sheriff departments and local police departments follow the lead of state police and undertake similar efforts to improve law enforcement at the community level."

The full report is available to the public, online, at http://vsp.vermont.gov.

Tagged: VSP, Vermont State Police