Pulled Over

How Police Stops Define Race and Citizenship

Epp Charles R., Maynard-Moody Steven, Haider-Markel Donald P.

In sheer numbers, no form of government control comes close to the police stop. Each year, twelve percent of drivers in the United States are stopped by the police, and the figure is almost double among racial minorities. Police stops are among the most recognizable and frequently criticized incidences of racial profiling, but, while numerous studies have shown that minorities are pulled over at higher rates, none have examined how police stops have come to be both encouraged and institutionalized.

"Pulled Over" deftly traces the strange history of the investigatory police stop, from its discredited beginning as "aggressive patrolling" to its current status as accepted institutional practice. Drawing on the richest study of police stops to date, the authors show that who is stopped and how they are treated convey powerful messages about citizenship and racial disparity in the United States. For African Americans, for instance, the experience of investigatory stops erodes the perceived legitimacy of police stops and of the police generally, leading to decreased trust in the police and less willingness to solicit police assistance or to self-censor in terms of clothing or where they drive. This holds true even when police are courteous and respectful throughout the encounters and follow seemingly colorblind institutional protocols. With a growing push in recent years to use local police in immigration efforts, Hispanics stand poised to share African Americans' long experience of investigative stops.

In a country that celebrates democracy and racial equality, investigatory stops have a profound and deleterious effect on African American and other minority communities that merits serious reconsideration".Pulled Over" offers practical recommendations on how reforms can protect the rights of citizens and still effectively combat crime.

About the Author

Charles R. Epp is professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas. He is the author of several books.

Steven Maynard-Moody is professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas, where he is also director of the Institute for Policy and Social Research.

Donald P. Haider-Markel is professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

Reviews

"'Pulled Over' succeeds in providing convincing evidence – the most exhaustive to date – demonstrating how pernicious racism can be at an institutional level without anyone specifically intending that result and with the intention perhaps running in the opposite direction. This is significant research on a fundamental issue presented in a clear, exhaustive manner, and it takes our knowledge of policing a big step further, offering in the process a clear prescription for reform. The book should be of interest to everyone concerned about the way American institutions perpetuate racism" – Doris Marie Provine, Arizona State University

"This timely volume uses a multifaceted empirical analysis which focuses on street stop experiences among white and minority respondents to examine a central and continuing issue within contemporary American policing. Combining a careful historical exploration of police policies and practices with the results of surveys and in-person interviews, Epp, Maynard-Moody, and Haider-Markel offer a sophisticated and illuminating examination of the experience of police stops. Their efforts identify an important distinction between traffic and investigatory stops and locate race-based problems with the latter type of experience. Polite and respectful police demeanor, while to some extent palliative, cannot assuage the damaging effects of the widespread and systematic use of this policing technique on the minority community. This is a very good read and a compelling inquiry into the impact of police actions on white and minority motorists" – Tom R. Tyler, Yale Law School

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