The additional data analysis performed was based on a comparison of the 2015 motor
vehicle contact data with a specific baseline. When reviewing this particular analysis, it should
be noted that there is disagreement, in the literature, regarding the appropriate baseline to be used
when analyzing motor vehicle-related contact information. Of the baseline measures available,
the Arlington Police Department opted to adopt, as a baseline measure, the Fair Roads Standard.
This particular baseline is based on data obtained through the U.S. Census Bureau (2010)
relevant to the number of households that have access to vehicles while controlling for the race
and ethnicity of the heads of households.
It is clear that census data presents challenges to any effort made at establishing a fair and
accurate racial profiling analysis. That is, census data contains information on all residents of a
particular community, regardless of the fact they may or may not be among the driving
population. Further, census data, when used as a baseline of comparison, presents the challenge
that it captures information related to city residents only. Thus, excluding individuals who may
have come in contact with the Arlington Police Department in 2015 but live outside city limits.
In some cases, the percentage of the population that comes in contact with the police but lives
outside city limits represents a substantial volume of all motor vehicle-related contacts made in a
given year.
Since 2002, several civil rights groups in Texas expressed their desire and made
recommendations to the effect that all police departments should rely, in their data analysis, on
the Fair Roads Standard. This source contains census data specific to the number of
“households” that have access to vehicles. Thus, proposing to compare “households” (which
may have multiple residents and only a few vehicles) with “contacts” (an individual-based
count). This, in essence, constitutes a comparison that may result in ecological fallacy. Despite
this, the Arlington Police Department made a decision that it would use this form of comparison
(i.e., census data relevant to households with vehicles) in an attempt to demonstrate its “good
will” and “transparency” before the community. Thus, the Fair Roads Standard data obtained and
used in this study is specifically relevant to the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex.
It should also be noted that the Arlington Police Department opted to report on ALL
motor vehicle contacts made during the course of a motor vehicle contact. In the first table,
contacts made in the course of a motor vehicle contact (not including pedestrians) were reported.
This does include written warnings. Thus, the APD, for the sake of transparency, reported data
beyond the minimum requirements of Tier 2.
Tier 2 (2015) Motor Vehicle-Related Contact Analysis
When analyzing the Tier 2 data collected in 2015, 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 2015 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 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.