| The primary purpose of this study was to identify whether or not officers in the Flint City Police Department engaged in race based differential traffic enforcement. This was examined in light of traditional principles expounded by the acknowledged father of modern policing, Sir Robert Peel. Peel's ten principles of law enforcement are central to the issue of differential traffic enforcement.; This study attempted to examine this issue from a qualitative view point and relied heavily on classical criminal justice concepts. In this light the role of police officers was examined vis a vie the role of the police as "law enforcement" officer and "peace" officer.; Closely linked to these two paradigms is the notion of discretion. This concept was explored as to the impact that it has had on the notion of race based differential traffic enforcement from both the legal and ethical viewpoints. The legal exploration examined several court decisions while the ethical portion examined three theories: utilitarianism, Kantian and, reflective equilibrium.; Finally, a quantitative review of the Flint City's Patrol Division for 1997 was undertaken. Specific items examined included: (1) number of traffic stops, (2) race and gender of offender, (3) race of officer, (4) whether tickets were issued and, (5) whether an arrest was made. In addition to this review, each member of the unit was given an opportunity to answer a survey. Both of these data sets were then analyzed to determine if officers motives with respect to differential traffic enforcement were based on racial attitudes or police practices. The analysis revealed that race itself was a primary factor in differential traffic enforcement, however subjective individual racism was not a factor in differential traffic enforcement. |
