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RIDOT Brings Together Community Groups, Police, State and Local Leaders to Discuss Data Collection on Traffic Stops

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Office on Highway Safety (OHS) today released two quarters of data on routine traffic stops in Rhode Island as mandated by the Comprehensive Community Police Relationship Act (CCPRA) of 2015. The data was made available to a large group of stakeholders that included both police personnel and leaders of community groups and is also posted online on RIDOT's website www.dot.ri.gov/community/safety/reports.

RIDOT/OHS asked the stakeholders to comment on the data in an effort to ensure that the data collection process is carried out with integrity, fairness and transparency. The meeting was held on Friday at the Department of Administration.

On a quarterly basis, RIDOT/OHS's obligation is to provide summary reports of the monthly data, due within 90 days of the end of the quarter. After today's data release, the next data release will be December 31, 2016. Brown University's Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab will analyze the data on an annual basis and release their analysis no later than 18 months after the data collection begins. The first annual analysis from the Rhode Island Innovative Policy Lab is due no later than June 2017.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Community Police Relationship Act, law enforcement agencies from throughout the state have been submitting traffic stop data to RIDOT/OHS since January 1, 2016. RIDOT missed the deadline for release of the first quarter of data, but now has processes in place to ensure all data is released on time.

The CCPRA authorizes RIDOT/OHS to collect data on routine traffic stops by all municipal law enforcement agencies and the Rhode State Police in an effort to determine if racial disparities in traffic stops exist.

The data will be released on a quarterly basis and will include information on: race, age, gender and the outcome from each police department on the stops made.

RIDOT Director Peter Alviti, Jr. said, "As a country, we see the importance of tackling racial disparities and improving community-police relations. RIDOT is pleased to be part of the process to make our state's data transparent. These reports can help us all work together to create safer and stronger communities across Rhode Island."

Today's meeting was the first opportunity for stakeholders to see the first two quarters of data as well as to provide feedback and ask questions about how the CCPRA operates.

All reports will be posted on RIDOT's website at www.dot.ri.gov/community/safety/reports.

Contact: Charles St. Martin (401) 222-1362, Ext. 4007

Related links

  • Department or agency: Department of Transportation
  • Online: http://www.dot.ri.gov
  • Release date: 08-26-2016

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