Disproportionality analysis of the percentages of citations, warnings, field observations, and arrests that result from a motor vehicle stop involving individuals of a particular race/ethnicity compared to that specific race/ethnicity's percentage of the population in Austin

Overview 

Reimagining Public Safety is the City of Austin’s multifaceted strategy to redefine public safety, improve safety outcomes, address racial and institutional inequities, and increase accountability and transparency in policing. 
The City of Austin is committed to implementing policy and cultural changes to address the disproportionate impact of police violence on people of color and other affected communities.  
 Recent events have amplified calls to end disparities in how communities of color are treated when they interact with officers. In response to those calls, Austin City Council passed several police reform resolutions. 
 On June 11, 2020, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20200611-050  which recognized that racial discrimination in policies, services, and institutions continue to have a negative impact on communities of color.  The resolution sets forth the path to address systemic inequities in stops, arrests and searches by APD officers. 
City Council established racial justice related goals specifically tied to the City of Austin’s Strategic Direction 2023, Fair Administration of Justice. The goals include: 
                    1. Zero racial disparity in motor vehicle stops
                    2. Zero racial disparity in citations and arrests resulting from motor vehicle stops by 2023.

To establish a benchmark to achieve these goals, the Joint Report: Analysis on APD Racial Profiling Data released by the Office of Police Oversight, the Equity Office, and the Innovation Office, will serve as a baseline measurement for the annual analysis. A review of the reason for the motor vehicle stop will also be conducted, similar to the analysis in the addendum to the Joint Report: Analysis on APD Racial Profiling Data. 

The improvement and eventual elimination of racial disparities in motor vehicle stops will take time to implement.  The Austin Police Department will work collaboratively with the Office of Police Oversight, Equity Office, Office of Innovation, and the Financial Services Department who oversees the Strategic Direction 2023 Program. The City of Austin will track the work and document changes on this performance dashboard. 
S.D.1a Citations
The total number of motor vehicle stops in 2021 was 42,520. 35.28% of those motor vehicle stops resulted in a citation. The data comes from the 2021 Racial Profiling (RP) Dataset on the open data portal. All races are included in this percentage.
S.D.1b Warnings or Field Observations
57.74% of motor vehicle stops resulted in a warning or a field observation. The data comes from the 2021 Racial Profiling (RP) Dataset on the open data portal. All races are included in this percentage.
S.D.1c Arrests
6.98% of motor vehicle stops resulted in an arrest. The data comes from the 2021 Racial Profiling (RP) Dataset on the open data portal. All races are included in this percentage.

Trending

Citations by Race
The total number of citations issued from motor vehicle stops in 2021 was 15,003. Of those citations, 5,145 were issued to White individuals, 6,921 were issued to Hispanic individuals, 2,150 were issued to Black individuals, and 770 were issued to Asian individuals.
Warnings and Field Observations by Race
The total number of warnings and field observations issued from motor vehicle stops in 2021 was 24,551. Of those warnings and field observations, 11,984 were issued to White individuals, 7,295 were issued to Hispanic individuals, 3,817 were issued to Black individuals, and 1,447 were issued to Asian individuals.
Arrests by Race
The total number of arrests issued from motor vehicle stops in 2021 was 2,966. Of those arrests, 957 were White individuals, 1,417 were Hispanic individuals, 536 were Black individuals, and 51 were Asian individuals.

Additional Insights

Population vs. Motor Vehicle Stops
The City of Austin has set a goal of zero racial disparity for motor vehicle stops, or 0% difference for each race between motor vehicle stops and population. This chart displays the difference between percent of motor vehicle stops for a particular race and the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race (Difference = the percent of motor vehicle stops for a particular race - the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race).
Population vs. Citations
The City of Austin has set a goal of zero racial disparity for citations resulting from a motor vehicle stop, or 0% difference for each race between citations and population. This chart displays the difference between percent of citations for a particular race and the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race (Difference = the percent of citations for a particular race - the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race).
Population vs. Warnings/Field Observations
The City of Austin has set a goal of zero racial disparity for warnings/field observations resulting from a motor vehicle stop, or 0% difference for each race between warnings/field observations and population. This chart displays the difference between percent of warnings/field observations for a particular race and the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race (Difference = the percent of warnings/field observations for a particular race - the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race)
Population vs. Arrests
The City of Austin has set a goal of zero racial disparity for arrests resulting from a motor vehicle stop, or 0% difference for each race between arrests and population. This chart displays the difference between percent of arrests for a particular race and the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race (Difference = the percent of arrests for a particular race - the city of Austin Over 18 Population for that race).

Measure Details and Definition

  1. Definition: This measure is the difference between the percentages for motor vehicle stops, citations, warnings/field observations, and arrests resulting from a motor vehicle stop by race compared to the percentages of the City of Austin population by race.
  2. Calculation Method: The calculation is completed by subtracting percentage city of Austin population over 18 of each race from the percentage race of each outcome from a motor vehicle stop.
  3. Data Collection Process: The race of the driver is collected by the officer at the time of the motor vehicle stop. The race data collected is the individual's self-reported race/ethnicity. In cases where the individual does not self identify, the officer's perception of the individual's race/ethnicity is recorded (APD General Orders 328.3.2). The population data is collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Voting Age Population Census Data (Date Pulled: 5/18/2022). The voting age population was chosen in order to more closely approximate the ages of members of the public most likely to have interaction with the Austin Police Department as well as to better reflect the age range of those likely to file a complaint with the Office of Police Oversight. The voting age population is also viewed as a closer approximation of those operating motor vehicles, as opposed to the total population which includes children. This measure is on a 2 year lag. 
  4. Measure Target Calculation: Per City Council direction, the goal is to reach zero disparity in citations, warnings/field observations, and arrests resulting from motor vehicle stops.
  5. Frequency Measure is Reported: Annually (Calendar year)
Date page was last updated: March 2023