The Physical and Mental Health Impact of Non-Safety Walking, Biking, and Traffic Stops on Those Stopped

• In Event: Roundtable: Community-Based Participatory Research and Relational Accountability in Criminology

Abstract

City of Rochester police data show disparities in whom police stop. Though researchers address the harms pretext stops cause to communities and individuals, few directly measure health impacts on those stopped. Using Community-Based Participatory Research principles, our multidisciplinary team includes people with lived histories of being stopped, community-based leaders, legal services attorneys and staff, and university professors. We are collaborating to assess whether there are physical and mental health impacts on those stopped, and if so, what they are. We received approval from a University IRB to conduct a Quality Improvement Project, formed a Community Advisory Board, and designed a REDCap survey instrument for City of Rochester residents. The survey asks information about experiences of individuals stopped by police while they were driving, biking or walking. We also will interview volunteers based on purposeful sampling. We will share this information with our community via meetings, reports, and in-services. We seek roundtable participants interested in learning more about this project, sharing their non-safety stop experiences, and having a robust discussion regarding the barriers and facilitators to doing this important work.

Authors

• Catherine Cerulli, University of Rochester

• Irshad Altheimer, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Katie Blum, Empire Justice

• John Cullen, Susan B. Anthony Center

• Rashid Muhammad, JustCause

• Jill Paperno, Empire Justice