STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
Vermont State Police 2017 traffic-stop statistics show continued progress in addressing racial disparities, improving data quality
SOUTH ROYALTON – Traffic-stop data from 2017 released today by the Vermont State Police show the agency is continuing to make progress in addressing racial disparities in traffic stops and improving data quality.
Among the key takeaways:
· Searches of motorists occurred in only a small amount of traffic stops – 0.009 percent – but turned up contraband more than 87 percent of the time.
· The number of searches of motorists that turned up contraband increased for every demographic, indicating successful outcomes from increased training and other initiatives.
· Disparities in search rates between white drivers and minority drivers remain, but the gap is narrowing. For example, search rates for black drivers fell for the third consecutive year but remain higher than the rates for white drivers.
The release of data came during a meeting Monday, June 18, 2018, of the Fair and Impartial Policing Committee at Vermont Law School in South Royalton.
This is the third year in a row the state police has presented its annual traffic-stop data.
“Collecting, analyzing and releasing this information represents a commitment to transparency in a key aspect of law enforcement for the Vermont State Police and the general public,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police.
“These reports help us better understand how we’re serving Vermonters — what we’re doing well and what areas we can continue to improve,” Birmingham added. “We continue to make great strides in improving our data quality and addressing implicit bias. This is due in no small part to the hard work and dedication of the men and women of the Vermont State Police.”
For every traffic stop, a Vermont state trooper will issue either a traffic ticket or a written warning. Data collected on each of these documents must include, age, gender, race of driver, reason for the stop, type of search if conducted and evidence if located, along with the outcome of the stop. All this data must be posted annually for public viewing before Sept. 1 of each year.
The 2017 data show:
· Total stops: The state police stopped 64,093 motor vehicles in 2017, an increase of 12,573 stops from 2016 (51,597).
· Demographics:
o White operators: 59,998 stops, accounting for 93.61 percent of total stops. There were 48,684 such stops in 2016.
o Black operators: 1,616 stops, accounting for 2.52 percent of total. In 2016, there were 1,157 such stops.
o Asian operators: 1,473 stops, accounting for 2.30 percent of total. There were 860 such stops in 2016.
o Hispanic operators: 932 stops, accounting for 1.45 percent of total. There were 684 such stops in 2016.
o Native American operators: 64 stops, accounting for 0.10 percent of total. In 2016, there were 44 such stops.
· Searches: The Vermont State Police searched 565 operators in 2017. That translates to about 0.009 percent of total stops.
o White operators: 507. Contraband found: 441 (hit rate 86.98 percent).
o Black operators: 38. Contraband found: 35 (hit rate 92.11 percent).
o Asian operators: 4. Contraband found: 4 (hit rate 100 percent).
o Hispanic operators: 16. Contraband found: 12 (hit rate 75 percent).
o Native American: 0.
· Tickets: 43.4 percent of all operators stopped received a ticket, with a demographic breakdown as follows:
o White operators: 42.8 percent.
o Black operators: 48.5 percent.
o Asian operators: 55.6 percent.
o Hispanic operators: 51.4 percent.
o Native American operators: 56.5 percent.
Also Monday night, the Vermont State Police released the results of a community survey that sought feedback from the public as part of the agency’s Fair and Impartial Policing Initiative.
More than 1,650 people took the 13-question online survey. Among the results:
· More than 50 percent of respondents say troopers treat people fairly.
· 59 percent of respondents say the safety of their community has remained the same over the past year.
· 23 percent of respondents say the Vermont State Police has a relationship with their community.
· The three largest areas of concern for survey respondents:
o Drugs, 84 percent.
o Burglaries & thefts, 53 percent.
o Overdoses, 40 percent.
· 93 percent of respondents identified as white; 83 percent as heterosexual; 58 percent as female; 42 percent as age 50 or older; and 32 percent as residing in central Vermont.
The survey was generated with input from a subcommittee of the Fair and Impartial Policing Committee and opened for public responses last month.
Since 2015, the Vermont State Police has made numerous changes to address fair and impartial policing in the state. The agency created the position of director of fair and impartial policing and community affairs, a post currently held by Lt. Garry Scott. The director is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive program to ensure fair and impartial policing practices at all levels of the state police; building relationships of trust with minority communities; diversifying the workforce; and improving cultural awareness.
The state police also has a standing Fair and Impartial Policing Committee, composed of a diverse cross-section of Vermonters, including members of the state police, the NAACP, the LGBTQIA Alliance, the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity, state residents and others. The committee’s mission is to advise the Vermont State Police on matters related to impartial and ethical policing and community outreach.
For more information, contact:
Lt. Garry Scott, Director of Fair and Impartial Policing & Community Affairs
802-244-8727 | garry.scott@vermont.gov
Adam Silverman, Public information officer
802-241-5277 | adam.silverman@vermont.gov
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