Now more than ever, it’s imperative that law enforcement agencies build trust and transparency with the communities they serve, and one way certain States are allowing for this is by implementing laws that require officers to record more stop data during traffic stops. 

While these laws are intended to identify potential patterns and aid the elimination of racial and identity profiling, they may also create extra workload for officers to manage. Fortunately, with the help of more automated and data-driven tools, it’s easier than ever to build stronger, more transparent ties with their communities.

In this blog we’ll cover:

– What racial and identity profiling is 

– What stop data is

– The challenge stop data reporting poses to officers

– How tools like Veritone Contact can help LEAs create greater transparency with the communities they serve

What is racial and identity profiling? 

Racial and identity profiling is when someone uses an individual’s race, ethnicity, economic, or even religious characteristics as a reason for suspecting them of criminal activity. 

Racial and identity profiling has directly affected minority groups, contributing to negative stereotypes surrounding specific demographics. It’s an issue that has caused a history of strained relationships and trust between communities and LEAs. So, in an effort to create more transparency and mend these relations, multiple States across the US have adopted laws around racial and identity profiling during traffic stops. These States include:

What is stop data?

Stop data is the information collected and retained by law enforcement officers during a traffic stop, which may or may not be relevant to the alleged crime. 

Stop data can include:

  • The date and time
  • The location of the stop
  • The reason for the stop
  • The ethnicity of the person stopped
  • The gender and age of the person stopped (if known)
  • Whether the officer was on or off duty
  • Whether the officer was in uniform or plain clothes
  • Whether the stop took place in a public place or a police station
  • When a search was carried out, what it was for and what (if anything) was found

Collecting this stop data using traditional methods, however, exposes law enforcement officers to a number of productivity challenges. 

What challenges does stop data reporting pose to officers?

As mentioned before, adding laws that address racial and identity sensitivity is certainly a step toward building greater trust with the community, but the methods by which officers must report stops, like handwriting or typing up forms, can be time-consuming. 

State and local departments, as well as peace officers, could stand to benefit from tools that help automate the process. Automating the stop data intake process not only takes less time, but it can also allow for greater accuracy and a streamlined workflow. Fortunately, there are applications, such as Veritone Contact, that can assist officers with stop data collection so they can spend less time entering information and more time protecting their communities.

How can Veritone Contact automate stop data collection and reporting?

Veritone Contact was created specifically with stop data collection in mind. We partnered with the California State DOJ when their identity profiling act, RIPA, was introduced to see how AI-powered software could vastly improve the existing process.

Veritone Contact leverages Veritone’s aiWARE, allowing for a simplified, easy way for officers to input data quickly and efficiently, even if there is more than one individual they need to account for. On top of reducing collection time and minimizing review effort, Veritone Contact also offers command staff immediate insight for training and transparency purposes.

To learn more about Veritone Contact or other AI-infused tools like Veritone Identify, schedule a demo.