Traffic stops remain the most common reason for police-initiated contact across all racial groups, according to a new report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). The report, part of a series examining police interactions with U.S. residents since 1996, reveals that racial disparities in these encounters persist. The Prison Policy Initiative responded to the report by noting a need to address inequities and rethink public safety strategies.
The BJS data show that Black drivers are more than twice as likely as drivers of other racial groups to be searched or arrested during a traffic stop. Black individuals are also over three times as likely as White individuals to experience the use of force in their most recent encounter with law enforcement. Although Black people accounted for only 12% of those whose most recent contact was initiated by police or related to a traffic accident, they represented one-third of those who reported being threatened or experiencing nonfatal use of force.
The report also laid bare troubling trends regarding the use of force against older adults and women. In 2022, people aged 65 or older made up five percent of those who experienced the threat or use of force. While the figure may seem small, it represents a more than ten fold increase since 2015. The rise suggests that even older populations are not spared from escalating police aggression.
Women also face an increasing risk of police force. In 1999, women comprised only 13% of those subjected to police force. By 2022, that figure had doubled to 28%. Among those who experienced force, women were more likely than men to perceive it as excessive, with 51% of women reporting excessive force compared to 44% of men.
Young adults aged 18-24 were the most likely age group to experience police contact, with 25% reporting interactions in 2022. They were also the most likely to experience police-initiated contact (15%) and traffic accident-related contact (four percent). Alarmingly, more than one in five individuals who reported the threat or use of force in their most recent police encounter were between 16 and 24 years old. The Prison Policy Initiative noted that these kinds of interactions can have life-threatening consequences, as over 70% of police killings in 2023 began with non-violent incidents or situations where no crime had been reported.
Officials at the Prison Policy Initiative published a ‘wish list’ of 22 critical gaps in criminal legal system data. The list includes data on arrests for technical violations, the quality of healthcare in correctional facilities, and the outcomes of pretrial supervision. Officials said the absence of such data hampers efforts to understand and address the criminal legal system’s impact fully.
Further, the available data suggest that many police encounters could be handled more effectively by alternative community resources. In 2022, nearly 30 million people initiated contact with police, but only half of those interactions involved reporting possible crimes. Many sought help for non-crime emergencies, such as medical issues, car accidents, or quality-of-life concerns. A 2022 analysis of 911 calls in major cities found that only four percent involved violent crimes. Officials said this indicates a need for investments in community-based services to reduce the risks associated with police intervention.
Some officials noted that the decline in police contact does reduce opportunities for abuse. However, they said the deep-seated racial disparities in policing remain unresolved.
“Just because the sheer number of police interactions was lower than it has been in decades does not mean the problems with our nation’s fraught system of policing are solved,” the Prison Policy Initiative stated in its release. “Racial disparities in police interactions, misconduct, and use of force remain pervasive and demand immediate attention.”
