Examining the Intersection of Race and Neighborhood Context in Police Stops from Precursor to Outcome

• In Event: Neighborhoods, Race, and Theory

Abstract

Research on racial disparities in police traffic and pedestrian stops tends to examine individual incidents. But research suggests that the larger environment, particularly neighborhood racial or ethnic composition, plays a significant role in who is stopped and where. The race-out-of-place perspective argues that individuals whose race is incongruent with the larger neighborhood are disproportionately likely to attract police attention. However, the evidence is mixed, and most research overlooks how individual race or ethnicity and neighborhood composition might intersect beyond who is stopped. Examining how individual race or ethnicity intersects with neighborhood composition provides a deeper understanding of how law enforcement practices may vary across different neighborhoods. The neighborhood context can influence why individuals are stopped by police or the outcome of these stops, as factors like neighborhood characteristics can shape law enforcement practices and perceptions of suspicion. Therefore, in the current study we take a more nuanced look at how neighborhood characteristics might shape stop reasons, actions taken during the stops, and stop outcomes. Utilizing data from a large police agency in California, we examined the full context of stops, from precursor to outcome, and how this varies by race and ethnicity of the individual and the neighborhood.

Authors

• Carl Reeds, University of South Florida

• Lyndsay Boggess, University of South Florida

• Alyssa Chamberlain, Arizona State University