| When
should we collect data? At first glance, data collection seems to be the
cure regarding police and civilian contacts in relation to racial profiling.
Data collection also is a tool to analyze actions that may be considered
bias-based traffic law enforcement. There is much to be learned from data
involving police encounters with citizens. Although police data collection
systems cannot cure society of discriminatory acts by law enforcement
officers, these systems can identify potential problems.
The
systematic compilation of data authenticates community policing and can
help engender respect for law enforcement officers. Statistics can be
meaningful or simply a collection of numbers. Agencies should consider
the type of facts and records necessary to document its resources and
the reasons for its method of handling arrests, stops, and investigations.
If the information is not collected, when and if litigation occurs, defensible
records will not be available.
Police administrators
are in a precarious position. If they decide not to collect data, some
persons may assume that they are hiding something. If they decide to gather
data, raw interpretations may be improperly analyzed and lead to claims
of improper behavior. Therefore, careful analysis of collected data is
critical.
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