May I Talk to You for a Minute? An Assessment of Street Stops and Officer Decision-Making

Abstract

The overwhelming majority of research on officer-initiated contacts with civilians is drawn from traffic stops, while relatively little is known about officer decision-making during non-vehicular, street stops. The current study fills this gap by examining intrusive detentions, investigatory actions and enforcement activities undertaken by the police during street stops. Using data from a racially/ethnic diverse metropolitan area, analyses examine encounter-related variables, civilian and officer-related demographic characteristics, and contextual correlates of actions undertaken during these incidents. Conclusions drawn from this study provide specific insight into the patterns and practices of street stop encounters and offer a contribution to our broader understanding of police-civilian encounters.