Poster #84 - Examining Justifications for the Authority to Conduct Searches During Vehicle Stops: A Comparative Analysis

• In Event: ASC Poster Session I

Abstract

The existence of racial and ethnic disparities in traffic enforcement is a focal concern within the policing literature, which largely centers on disproportionality in vehicle stop rates (i.e., disparity indices). However, post-stop decisions are arguably more consequential for motorists, and therefore require additional attention in the empirical literature. To add to the scholarly understanding of post-stop decision-making as well as the dynamics of such interactions, the current study examines justifications for search decisions using data from Missouri’s annual vehicle stop reports. Search justifications include consent from the motorist, incident to arrest, plain view contraband, “plain smell” factors (e.g., drug/alcohol odor), and drug-dog alerts. This analysis includes a comparison of search justifications over multiple years: 2001, 2005, 2009, 2015, 2019, and 2023. This study also explores police agencies’ written explanations for racial and ethnic disparities within aggregate search rates. Findings, as well as implications for research, theory, and policy, will be discussed.

Authors

• Kevin Hagans, Sam Houston State University

• Miltonette Olivia Craig, Sam Houston State University