As part of an effort to investigate
and eliminate racial profiling, Illinois police departments have been required since 2004 to collect and submit information to the
state on all traffic stops. In 2006, the Illinois Department of
Transportation received data from 974 law enforcement agencies on 2,515,518
traffic stops. (Thirty-six agencies failed to submit the required data, however.)
In addition to demographic information, the data also include
the reason for the stop and the result, including whether the officer searched someone
and whether the person consented to the search.
The one-page “Traffic Stop Data Sheet” completed by officers for each stop is here. Copies of the data for 2006 and previous years can
be ordered from the Illinois Department of Transportation here.
Comments