State police have released the results of an independent study of the data gathered from all trooper-initiated traffic stops conducted in 2024.
The analysis showed that there was no substantive racial or ethnic disparities in the reasons for traffic stops and no substantive differences in post-stop outcomes for Black or Hispanic drivers. State police Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris said that the results of the study show that “decisions about warnings, citations, searches and arrests are determined by the facts…not by race or ethnicity.” The annual report also showed the strong reliability and validity of the department’s data collection process, which is regarded as one of the most comprehensive and high-quality programs in the nation.
The study was led by Dr. Robin Engel with John Glenn College of Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. She said that the state police’s “continued investment in a comprehensive and accurate data collection process adds confidence” to the statistical findings, and added that the transparency and accountability the agency showed is “essential for maintaining public trust” and should be the model for other law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania.
The 2024 analysis included 433,599 traffic stops, with roughly 60% of those stops for moving violations and speeding. The vast majority of traffic stops resulted in either warnings or citations. Arrests occurred in only 3.7% of stops, while discretionary searches were conducted in just 2.2% of cases.
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