Citation

Higgins GE, Vito GF, Grossi EL, Vito AG. J. Ethn. Crim. Justice 2012; 10(3): 163-179.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15377938.2012.700622

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to examine traffic stop data--in particular data on searches--to better understand racial profiling. We use a measure of capriciousness to understand whether the decision to search occurs at random. Using data from more than 40,000 traffic stops from Louisville, Kentucky, the present study finds that race is one of many factors that are used in the determination of a search. For the overall, White, and Black samples, we find that the decision to search occurs at random, suggesting that racial profiling is not occurring in these data.