The Portland Police Bureau has been collecting data on traffic and pedestrian stops since 2001 based on recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on Racial Profiling. From the program’s outset, officers were required to log their perceptions of driver/pedestrian race, gender, and general age (minor vs. adult); the reason for the stop; whether a search was conducted, the type of search conducted, and results of the search; and the overall outcome of the stop. The Bureau’s stops application automatically connects to the Bureau’s computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) and electronic citation (eCite) systems to aid in the accountability of Stops report completion. The newest version of the stops data collection system launched on June 27, 2018.
One of the main purposes of this document is to provide a resource to those charged with facilitating or participating in discussions around racial disparities in the Portland Police Bureau's stop and search data. The hope is that these analyses and information will provide a broader understanding of where disparities exist and what types of relationships can be explored with this type of data. This is important for enhancing discussions around disparities and making informed decisions on strategies for addressing racial disparities.