Officer Race and Citizen-Reported Traffic Ticket Decisions by Police in 1999 and 2002

Abstract

Does officer race affect the frequency with which citizens report receiving a ticket for a traffic law violation? According to citizens, is the effect of officer race on traffic tickets the same in 1999 and 2002 despite the increased attention given what has come to be called driving while Black? The present research answers these questions using citizen reports of their traffic stop encounters with police in 1999 and 2002. Net of important control variables, citizens report changes in the ways officer race affects traffic ticket decisions, most notably when viewed through the lens of intersections of officer race and driver race and ethnicity. Specifically, citizens report that Black police officers are less likely to ticket Black traffic law violators in 2002 than in 1999. In important contrast, White police officers are more likely to ticket all drivers of color in both 1999 and 2002.