No bias in Raleigh Police traffic stops, with one exception, study suggests

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- New data suggests there's no bias in who gets stopped by Raleigh Police except in one particular neighborhood.

A study done by RTP-based RTI, which was not commissioned by RPD, said they found "no bias" at the city level in traffic stops.

The one anomaly: RTI found black female drivers got pulled over in Raleigh's Southwest District at a higher rate than other population groups

The data was presented Thursday night at the McKimmon Center at NC State University.

Researchers explored eight years of traffic stop data from RPD and, as a result, looked into the importance of police interactions with the community.

The study looked at data from 2010 to 2018 but only considered the race of the driver in the traffic stops -- not the passengers.

It also did not take into account the "post-stop outcomes" (i.e., the equality of the interaction with police and if officers decided to cite, search and make an arrest after the stop).

The public was invited to the event but very few community members showed up.

Raleigh Police Chief Cassandra Deck-Brown said these events are also supposed to help foster better relationships with the community.

"When you have the collective body of law enforcement in the community, you have to try and use it as a force multiplier and to try and reap the benefits and opportunities that may exist," said Chief Deck-Brown.

Kimberly Muktarian, president of Save Our Sons, said she was disappointed with the outcome.

"I think it's very obscure in its data and I don't think it totally represents what is going on in the community," she said.

Chief Deck-Brown said even the small anomaly forces them to take a closer look at how they direct their resources and their department as a whole.

"Anytime you have the opportunity to break bread together and to have conversation and dialogue, you lessen the opportunities for hate and dissension," she said. "You work toward the goal of building relationships so you can only hope that's what will come of this."

There are two more sessions next week.