MPD Traffic Stops - June 1, 2017 - May 31, 2018

Based on MPD dashboard and results of data request

41,480 total cars stopped for all reasons

6,964 cars stopped for equipment violations:

Black drivers: 3,772 (54.16%)

White drivers: 2,086 (29.95%).

Equipment and moving violations combined

Black drivers stopped 9,910 times (49.13%)

White Drivers stopped 7,054 times (34.97%)

So how successful are these stops in recovering guns or drugs?

MPD stopped 6,964 cars for equipment violations. In 30 of those stops they found guns. (Some stops yielded more than one gun)

This means that .43% (less than half of 1%) of equipment stops led to guns.

MPD stopped 13,206 cars for moving violations. They found guns in 63 of those stops.

This means that .48% of moving violation stops led to guns. That is less than half of one percent.

MPD stopped 20,170 cars for moving and equipment violations in Minneapolis.

They found guns after 92 of those stops.

This means that .46% of the time they stopped a driver they found a gun. This is less than half of one percent.

@webster

A couple of ways to look at this data:

The “hit” rates for guns is so extremely low (less than half of 1 percent) for traffic stops for moving and equipment violations, it seems an ineffective use of scarce police resources.

This data does not justify the use of traffic stops as an effective tool for criminal investigations.

These “investigations” land disproportionately on Black drivers

We know that interactions with police during traffic stops are dangerous for Black drivers.

Those who drive in Minneapolis know that we need better TRAFFIC enforcement for dangerous driving behavior.

Let’s get police out of the pretext stop/fishing expedition business, which endangers Black drivers, and focus on traffic safety.