Tier 2 (2014) Motor Vehicle-Related Contact Analysis
When analyzing the Tier 2 data collected in 2014, it was evident that most motor
vehicle-related contacts were made with Caucasian drivers. This was followed by
African American and Hispanic drivers. In addition, most contacts were made in 2014
with males for moving traffic violations. As a result of most contacts, no searches were
made. Further, of those searches made, most were due to probable cause or consent. In
addition, contraband was often found as a result of the search. Of the contraband found,
in most instances, illegal drugs/drug paraphernalia was cited as the most frequent item
found.
The tier 2 data findings also suggested that an arrest was not made, for the most part, as a
result of the stops. Further, of those arrested, outstanding warrants were the most cited
reason for the arrest. Most of the locations of the stops were on city streets; this was
followed by state highways, reported under the private property or other category.
According to the Tarrant County Department of Transportation, there are no longer
county roads within the city limits of Arlington.
As mentioned earlier, the Arlington Police Department opted to disclose (and include in
this report), all contacts made with individuals in the course of a motor vehicle contact.
That is, contacts that qualified (and those that did not) under the racial profiling law are
being reported by the Arlington Police Department in an effort to show transparency and
disclosure. It should be further noted that the data for all contacts is similar, in nature and
context, to the tier 2 data submitted to TCOLE.
Fair Roads Standard Analysis
The data analysis of motor vehicle contacts to the census data relevant to the
number of “households” in the DFW who indicated, in the 2010 census, that they had
access to vehicles, produced interesting findings. Specifically, the percentage of
individuals of African American and Hispanic descent that came in contact with the
police was higher than the percentage of African American and Hispanic households in
DFW that claimed, in the 2010 census, to have access to vehicles. With respect to
Caucasians and Asians, a lower percentage of contacts were detected. That is, the
percentage of Caucasian and Asian drivers that came in contact with the police in 2014
was lower than the percentage of Caucasian and Asian households in DFW with access to
vehicles.
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