Researchers at Washington State University found no evidence for intentional, agency-level racial bias in an analysis of five years of traffic stops conducted by the Washington State Patrol.
Racial profiling and biased policing have received increased attention nationwide. Researchers with WSU’s Division of Governmental Studies and Services, supported by faculty from the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, were contracted by the WSP in 2020 to examine traffic stop records for evidence of bias.
The researchers analyzed data on more than 7 million trooper contacts, including more than 3.4 million traffic stops, 47,000 calls for service, and 175,000 collisions, occurring from Jan. 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2019. The 10-person WSU research team compared trooper contacts with census data, the statewide driving population, and other measures. As a result, the researchers found no evidence of systematic racial profiling.
To get more info from the data report, click here. (WSU News)
