Traffic Stop Data

In November 1979, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) enacted its first Bureau Order prohibiting the use of race or ethnicity as a predictor of criminal activity or as a factor for stopping, detaining or searching vehicles traversing Arizona’s roadways. In November 1999, the DPS enacted its first General Order addressing the issue of racial profiling. The General Order entitled “Racial or Ethnic Profiling in Traffic Enforcement” renewed DPS’ commitment to unbiased policing, and clarified the only circumstances in which officers can consider race/ethnicity when making law enforcement decisions.

In January 2003, DPS began voluntarily collecting data regarding traffic and pedestrian stops. In 2006, as part of a settlement agreement in a class-action lawsuit, DPS agreed to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of stop data being collected by Officers. DPS contracted with Dr. Robin Engel and the University of Cincinnati Policing Institute to conduct this analysis over a three year period. The first report was released in 2007, additional reports are available below:

Year Three, 2009

• DPS Traffic Stop Data Analysis Study Year Three, 2009
• DPS Response to Year Three Study
   

Year Two, 2008

• DPS Traffic Stop Data Analysis Study Year Two, 2008
• DPS Response to Year Two Study
   

Year One, 2007

• DPS Traffic Stop Data Analysis Study Year One, 2007 

Related Links

• Racial Profiling