The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) has released its Traffic Stop Analysis Report for the year 2023, revealing no significant disparities between Hispanic and white drivers across various metrics. The comprehensive report, covering traffic stops from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, provides detailed insights into stop length, citation rate, search rate, arrest rate, and seizures following a search.
The report’s findings highlight that there were no statistically significant differences between Hispanic and white drivers in any of the measured outcomes. Additionally, the report noted no significant differences between Black and white drivers for the year 2023. This analysis is part of MCSO’s commitment to transparency and fairness in law enforcement, operating under three court orders stemming from the Melendres lawsuit since 2014.
Key Findings:
- The report identified only two minor disparities: a 19-second longer stop length and a 2.5 percentage point higher citation rate for minority drivers as a whole.
- MCSO deputies conducted 18,632 traffic stops in 2023, with the rate of stops remaining steady throughout the year.
- Approximately 62% of the drivers stopped were perceived as white, 25% as Hispanic, and 8% as Black, with the remaining 4% from other historically marginalized groups, including Asian and Native American individuals.
- Over 60% of the stops were less than 14 minutes.
- About 52% of stops ended with a citation, 48% with a warning, and 5% with an arrest. Less than 1% of stops resulted in a non-incidental search of the driver or vehicle.
Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner praised the findings, stating, “The findings in this report are proof of the hard work our staff continues to deliver every day to provide professional services to our community. MCSO will continue to utilize this annual report, along with quarterly and monthly reports, to monitor enforcement activities, policies, and operational processes. We are committed to conducting ongoing training and community outreach to better equip our staff providing key services in our County and, if necessary and as warranted, intervention across all the benchmarks.”
The MCSO, alongside the CNA analysis team, concluded that while there is evidence of disparity in two traffic stop outcomes for racial and ethnic minority drivers as a whole, there were no statistically significant differences between white drivers and Hispanic drivers, a significant improvement from previous years.
The MCSO continues to strive to eliminate disparities in traffic stop outcomes, utilizing Traffic Stop Monthly Reports (TSMRs) and ongoing policy evaluations to ensure compliance and fairness. Sheriff Skinner emphasized the importance of these efforts, stating, “We are committed to transparency and fairness in all our operations, and these findings show we are on the right path.”
For the full Traffic Stop Analysis Report and Sheriff Russ Skinner’s statement, visit the MCSO website.
