In Pennsylvania, a study of around 450,000 vehicle stops conducted by state police found that drivers of various races and ethnicities were pulled over and cited at similar rates. The study revealed that there were no substantial racial or ethnic differences in the initial reasons for the stops, as stated by researcher Robin Engel during the release of the study in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was also noted that troopers’ decisions on law enforcement after stops were primarily based on legal factors rather than the race or ethnicity of the drivers or troopers involved.
Although troopers were slightly more inclined to conduct discretionary searches on vehicles of Black drivers compared to white or Latino drivers when considering the drivers’ criminal backgrounds, the study indicated that troopers did not inquire about the race or ethnicity of drivers, instead recording that information based on subjective perceptions. Previously, the Pennsylvania State Police and the ACLU settled a civil rights complaint two years ago, where Latino drivers were targeted for stops and detained to verify their immigration status, which led to the implementation of a regulation preventing stops based on immigration status and limiting questions about immigration status.
Recent findings on traffic stops by Pennsylvania State Police have shown a decline in racial and ethnic disparities, likely due to increased supervision, scrutiny, and changes in training tactics aimed at ensuring equal treatment of individuals. The state police have been enhancing transparency by equipping nearly half of the force with body cameras. Moving forward, a new law requires local police departments serving populations of over 5,000 people to collect and disclose traffic stop data, which will be effective by the end of the following year. Rep. Napoleon Nelson of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus mentioned that while the released data is not entirely comforting, understanding regional differences and having information from smaller departments is crucial for a comprehensive view.
Similarly, studies in California, Massachusetts, and Missouri have highlighted various disparities in traffic stops based on race and ethnicity. In California, Black individuals constituted around 13% of traffic stops despite making up just 5% of the population. Comparatively, a study in Massachusetts did not find evidence of racial bias in stop decisions but revealed that Hispanic and Black motorists were more likely to be cited while white drivers often received warnings. In Missouri, African-American drivers were significantly more likely to be pulled over than white drivers, with higher rates of searches leading to contraband discoveries. Additionally, a higher percentage of Hispanics and Black individuals were arrested post-stops compared to whites.