Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California
Police officers typically work under physically demanding, time-sensitive and stressful conditions, while making discretionary decisions that potentially have substantial consequences. One possible arena whereby police officers exercise their own discretion on a daily basis is in traffic stops. Our...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| Language: | English |
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Nanyang Technological University
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166316 |
| _version_ | 1811681233827004416 |
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| author | Tan, Bin Qian Tay, Jared Min Wai Teng, Ting |
| author2 | Tang Cheng Keat |
| author_facet | Tang Cheng Keat Tan, Bin Qian Tay, Jared Min Wai Teng, Ting |
| author_sort | Tan, Bin Qian |
| collection | NTU |
| description | Police officers typically work under physically demanding, time-sensitive and stressful conditions, while making discretionary decisions that potentially have substantial consequences. One possible arena whereby police officers exercise their own discretion on a daily basis is in traffic stops. Our study seeks to shed further light on racial profiling at traffic stops in the US, with a specific focus on the state of California. Previous studies have identified racial biases as a potential mechanism that leads to unobjective law enforcement by police officers, although the effect of heat on this mechanism has not been thoroughly explored. Using police stops data, weather data and sunset and sunrise timings in California within the time period of 2010 to 2018, we seek to replicate Grogger and Ridgeway’s Veil of Darkness test, before incorporating the effects of high temperatures into our analysis. We find that racial profiling of traffic stops exists in California, with a 1.4% decrease in traffic stops involving black drivers after dusk, compared to before sunset. However, we were unable to establish any causal mechanisms linking heat to the racial profiling of police stops. Our findings have implications for future police force reforms in California, as it is essential to address these racial biases to ensure that law enforcement is done on an objective, non-arbitrary basis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-10-01T03:37:42Z |
| format | Final Year Project (FYP) |
| id | ntu-10356/166316 |
| institution | Nanyang Technological University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-10-01T03:37:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Nanyang Technological University |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | ntu-10356/1663162023-04-30T15:31:39Z Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California Tan, Bin Qian Tay, Jared Min Wai Teng, Ting Tang Cheng Keat School of Social Sciences c.k.tang@ntu.edu.sg Social sciences Police officers typically work under physically demanding, time-sensitive and stressful conditions, while making discretionary decisions that potentially have substantial consequences. One possible arena whereby police officers exercise their own discretion on a daily basis is in traffic stops. Our study seeks to shed further light on racial profiling at traffic stops in the US, with a specific focus on the state of California. Previous studies have identified racial biases as a potential mechanism that leads to unobjective law enforcement by police officers, although the effect of heat on this mechanism has not been thoroughly explored. Using police stops data, weather data and sunset and sunrise timings in California within the time period of 2010 to 2018, we seek to replicate Grogger and Ridgeway’s Veil of Darkness test, before incorporating the effects of high temperatures into our analysis. We find that racial profiling of traffic stops exists in California, with a 1.4% decrease in traffic stops involving black drivers after dusk, compared to before sunset. However, we were unable to establish any causal mechanisms linking heat to the racial profiling of police stops. Our findings have implications for future police force reforms in California, as it is essential to address these racial biases to ensure that law enforcement is done on an objective, non-arbitrary basis. Bachelor of Arts in Economics 2023-04-25T05:57:22Z 2023-04-25T05:57:22Z 2023 Final Year Project (FYP) Tan, B. Q., Tay, J. M. W. & Teng, T. (2023). Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California. Final Year Project (FYP), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166316 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166316 en HE1AY2223_30 application/pdf Nanyang Technological University |
| spellingShingle | Social sciences Tan, Bin Qian Tay, Jared Min Wai Teng, Ting Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title | Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title_full | Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title_fullStr | Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title_short | Heat on the street: exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in California |
| title_sort | heat on the street exploring the role of heat and racial biases on traffic stops by police in california |
| topic | Social sciences |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10356/166316 |
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