Practical Applications of Proactive Traffic Enforcement

• In Event: Policy Panel: Proactive Policing

Abstract

Proactive traffic enforcement has become one of the primary ways that police exercise their proactivity in suburban areas. This paper focuses on understanding how police use and target their proactive efforts in relation to the locations of crime and traffic incidents. Specifically, two types of traffic stops are examined to understand how traffic enforcement is used. These include stops related to traffic safety, and those related to criminal investigations. Implications for police proactivity are discussed.

Authors

• Xiaoyun Wu, George Mason University

• Cynthia Lum, George Mason University