Conrad Miller, Berkeley (Labour/Public Seminar)


DATE
Tuesday May 2, 2023
TIME
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Location
IONA 533

Title: Class Disparities and Discrimination in Traffic Stops and Searches

Abstract:

We document class disparities and discrimination in the incidence of traffic stops and searches. During stops, troopers are more likely to search low economic status (ES) motorists for contraband, where we infer ES using vehicle attributes or residential neighborhood. Yet searches of low ES motorists are less likely to yield contraband. Guided by a simple model of trooper behavior, we also find evidence that low ES motorists are more likely to be pursued in pretext stops. We develop and implement a test for whether troopers engage in class discrimination that uses motorists stopped in multiple vehicles conveying different ES signals. Class discrimination explains at least 25% of the disparity in search and 68% of the disparity in pretext stops. We present suggestive evidence that the hassle associated with searches of high ES motorists may deter troopers.