Addressing Racial Bias in Traffic Enforcement

Hosted by The Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, Arnold Ventures, and the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy (IMRP) at the University of Connecticut 

Nationally, Black drivers are stopped by police more frequently than White drivers even after accounting for factors such as driver behavior. Many local police departments, with backing from their communities, are seeking to address inequities stemming from traffic stop policies and practices. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), states are eligible for up to $1.15 million to reduce racial profiling in traffic enforcement. The CSG Justice Center’s goal is to help states access the funds, examine traffic stop data to identify patterns of racial profiling, and implement policy changes to reduce racial profiling. 

This webinar will present the funding opportunity and discuss a cutting-edge strategy developed in Connecticut for identifying and remediating racial disparities in traffic enforcement that could be replicated in other states. This model builds community consensus, develops standardized metrics, promotes transparency and accountability, and includes a technical assistance strategy for local law enforcement agencies to address racial disparities and reduce unnecessary police contact. Through this approach, jurisdictions reduced racial profiling in traffic stops by 20 percent.  

Speakers: 

• Chief Jack Drumm, Madison Police Department, CT  
• Tamara Lanier, Vice President, New London, CT, NAACP  
• Dr. Cato Laurencin, University Professor at University of Connecticut  
• Mike Lawlor, JD, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven 
• Ken Barone, Project Manager, Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at University of Connecticut
• Jessica Saunders, Director, Research, CSG Justice Center (facilitator)  

Download the transcript