The key problem in testing for racial profiling in traffic stops is estimating the risk set, or "benchmark," against which to compare the race distribution of stopped drivers. To date, the two most common approaches have been to employ Census-based residential population data or to conduct...

Knowles, Persico, and Todd (2001) develop a model of police search and offender behavior. Their model implies that if police are unprejudiced the rate of guilt should not vary across groups. Using data from Interstate 95 in Maryland, they find equal guilt rates for African-Americans and whites...

Abstract This study examines the relationship between officer characteristics and racially biased policing. In particular, we explore the relationship between the officer's race/ethnicity and the nature and extent of excessive enforcement actions by race. We derive an efficient enforcement...