Nevada Police Traffic Stops Will Be Studied by UNLV Academics

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (702 Times, NV Globe) – A grant has been awarded to UNLV researchers to examine police enforcement traffic stops in Nevada.

The Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine says it obtained $560,000 from the Nevada Department of Public Safety to conduct the research.

A team will examine records to determine who is stopped, why they are stopped, and the outcome of each stop.

This follows the passage of Senate Bill 236 last year, which mandates law enforcement agencies to record information from traffic stops, such as the driver’s age, gender, and perceived race and ethnicity. The law also calls for data to be reviewed and analyzed to identify potential inequities and to increase openness in police.

“This grant provides us a unique opportunity to better understand the reasons and circumstances motorists are stopped in Nevada,” Dr. Deborah Kuhls, assistant dean for research at the Kerkorian School, said in a news release. “This analysis will provide a new ‘lens’ to view driver behavior and will augment existing crash and vehicular injury data.”

The study will help future efforts to compile an annual report and a public-facing data dashboard for Nevada traffic stops.

The study team will include academics from the Schools of Medicine and Public Health, as well as the Colleges of Engineering, Urban Affairs, and Liberal Arts.

Credits: 3NewsLV