The Social Ecology Of Overpolicing: A Study Of Police Stops In A Mid-Sized American City

• In Event: Race and Policing

Abstract

Investigatory stops, also known as Terry stops after Terry vs. Ohio, are used by police departments throughout the country. Such stops have been increasingly criticized in recent years for disproportionately targeting African Americans and Latinos. While policing scholars have closely studied the use of such stops in large cities such as New York City, comparatively little research has been done in smaller American cities. This study examines the use of investigatory stops in a mid-sized city in the western United States by analyzing police stop data over a 3-year period. Examined variables include time of day, vehicle characteristics, citizen characteristics, and neighborhood characteristics.

Author

• Peter Augustine Hanink, University of California, Irvine