IAAR Faculty Fellow Lecture - BaumgartnerTraffic Stops in Black and White
Dr. Frank R. Baumgartner
Richard J. Richardson Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wednesday September 9, 2015
7:00-8:30 pm
Pleasant Family Assembly Room – Wilson Library
Audience – All
Since 2002, all North Carolina police agencies have recorded the race, gender, and other information related to every traffic stop. In this presentation, Dr. Baumgartner analyzes over 18 million of these official reports, focusing on who gets searched, who gets arrested, and who is found to have contraband. Black men are 75 percent more likely to be searched and 51 percent more likely to be arrested compared to similarly situated white men. Over time, this racial disparity has grown. Contraband is less likely to be found with black drivers, and this racial disparity has also grown over time. Results of this comprehensive state-wide analysis of official police data suggest the need for serious reform in policing practices.