Study finds Pennsylvania troopers stop drivers at similar rates regardless of race

(WHTM) — A new study is out on traffic stops conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police. Most of them are during the daytime, on weekdays, and when someone is stopped for speeding, they’re usually 20 miles an hour over, among other study findings.

“This is so important because traffic stops are the most common ways that the public interacts with police,” Dr. Robin Engel, a researcher at the University of Cincinnati said.

Troopers, in 2023, made 450,000 stops according to the new report from the University of Cincinnati. The State Police collected data on who was pulled over, who was cited, who was searched, who was arrested, as well as racial data, all for researchers to analyze.

“The findings across multiple analyzes demonstrate no substantive racial and ethnic differences in the initial reason for the stop by the Pennsylvania State Police,” Engel said.

People of color were not statistically more likely to be arrested or searched than whites, the study concluded.

“So, I would say that which gets measured gets improved,” Colonel Christopher Paris, State Police commissioner, said.

The State Police improved year over year, which Paris was pleased by, and crunching data from nearly half a million traffic stops is virtually unprecedented.

“We feel very strongly now that what we have is a national model,” Paris said.

Bu those statistics can be overshadowed by specific instances and cell phone video of a routine traffic stop.

“We’re going to strive to do the job regardless of class, color, creed, or condition, Paris said.

PSP aid its trying to be better, but the researcher says being perfect is unrealistic in a society that’s inherently unequal.

“There are racial and ethnic differences in every adverse outcome in our society,” Engel said. “Poverty, health outcomes, education, employment, those are systemic. They cannot be reduced by the Pennsylvania State Police.”

These traffic stop studies cost $200,000 a year, and Paris says he sees value in them.

As long as he’s in charge, they’re going to keep doing it.

The Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus said they are examining the report.

“The members of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus are analyzing this report, and I can say that we have already set up continued conversations with PSP and local police officials about issues of race and law enforcement,” said PLBC Chair Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery. “Transparency and accountability require thorough and accurate information. This data is an important look at policing on the ground and should be helpful in learning more about factors that affect a traffic stop.

“We also look forward to future years, when the majority of our local departments will be reporting their data along with the state in a similar fashion. We thank the State Police and the Shapiro administration for a model on how to keep comprehensive reporting. Transparency and collaboration are central to achieving public safety.”

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