Tell Your Legislators: Reinstate Police Traffic Stop Data Collection

The message:

Until 2020, Rhode Island state law required the collection of traffic stop and search data from every law enforcement agency in the state to evaluate racial disparities in policing. This was called the Comprehensive Community-Police Relationship Act (CCPRA).

The data was intended to be used to address racial profiling in policing. However, not only did this state law include a sunset clause in 2020 (meaning the law expired at a set date), but the data that was collected was not presented to the public in a useful way.

There are a few ways this bill would improve on the first version of the law. First, the legislation would ensure the data is reported in a way that provides greater transparency to the public, which is the point of the data in the first place. Second, it would guide police departments' response to documented racial disparities through more strong requirements. Finally, it would require the establishment of an advisory committee to provide greater oversight and accountability.

We already have data that shows that Black and Hispanic people are searched at consistently higher rates than white drivers because of traffic stops, while also being consistently less likely to be found with contraband. This bill is important to making sure police in Rhode Island continue to work towards remedying racial disparities. Contact your legislators now and urge them to renew and strengthen this law!