By the Numbers: A Guide for Analyzing Race Data from Vehicle Stops

摘要

By the Numbers does not recommend a perfect method that will allow an agency to simply, easily and definitively measure whether racial bias is manifested in police decisions. Such a method does not exist. The question of whether bias influences some officers when they stop drivers, like many other social science research questions in criminal justice and related fields, is impossible to answer with complete certainty. There are, however, some methodologies that are much stronger than others in their ability to answer the key research question that is, we can have more confidence in the results. By the Numbers not only provides detailed guidance for implementing the various methods, but also includes assessments of each methods strengths and weaknesses. This information will help readers implement the strongest method that available resources will allow and ensure that the conclusions they draw from the chosen method are responsible.