Studying traffic stop encounters

Racial profiling has received significant consideration in recent years as politicians, police, academics, the media, advocacy groups, and the general public attempt to understand and assess the extent to which this practice occurs in the nation. Despite considerable attention and the investment of substantial financial resources, the question of whether racial profiling exists has eluded a conclusive answer. As more efforts are made to study police traffic stop data, it is crucial that researchers have an understanding of the associated methodological issues. This article considers traffic stop studies from a methodological perspective, discussing the challenges associated with conducting meaningful research of police officer decision making patterns in traffic stop encounters. Using data from a Midwestern community, as well as the experiences of researchers across the country, the authors illustrate and discuss implications for data collection, variables, and data analysis.