The Effects of Reducing Pretextual Stops: Evidence from Saint Paul Minnesota

• In Event: Prosecutors and Policy Effects: Findings from Four Jurisdictions

Abstract

Traffic stops make up the vast majority of law enforcement-initiated contact with the public in the United States. As such, it is an important gateway into the criminal legal system. Elected prosecutors—from across the political spectrum—are currently grappling with the growing consensus that the cost of bringing marginal individuals into the criminal legal system likely outweighs the benefits. An important question is how policymakers can reduce intake into the system while maintaining—or even improving—public safety. This article investigates the effectiveness of a policy by the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office (RCAO) in conjunction with the Saint Paul Police Department (SPPD) to decrease the number of traffic stops for minor equipment violations. Using an interrupted time series (ITS) framework, we find that the policy met its goal of virtually eliminating traffic stops for vehicle violations, a common source of police-citizen interactions. Furthermore, we show that the policy reduced stops for Black motorists more relative to White motorists. Finally, we utilize ITS to also document changes in short- and long-term crime trends, the number of gun seizures, the number of victims of gun violence, traffic incidents, and response times to 911 calls. The results suggest that the policy was effective in reducing contact between law enforcement and the public—in a way that reduced racial disparities—without adversely affecting long-term public safety.

Authors

• J.J. Naddeo, Justice Innovation Lab

• Rory Pulvino, Justice Innovation Lab