How Speed Stops are Affected Across Median Household Income in Connecticut.

Faculty Sponsor: Professor Gooyabadi

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Daniel Bench

I grew up in Westchester, NY and I went to Edgemont High School. Now I am a current sophomore at Wes where I am majoring in Computer Science as well as a member of the Wesleyan Track and Field Team. In my free time I enjoy playing soccer, chess, hanging out with friends, and trying new foods.

Abstract: This study takes a closer look at traffic stops in Connecticut and examines disparities in traffic stops between low-income and high-income cities in Connecticut. It utilizes the CT Traffic Stops – Racial Profiling Prohibition Project which has over one million stops recorded in the year 2018. The analysis looks at the relationship between the frequency of stops, reason for stop, disposition of the stop, and of course the locations median income based on the census town. Findings indicate that there is some relation to the amount of speed related stops and a town’s median income. However, it is not safe to make distinct conclusions due to the fact that a towns population is omitted in the model and could directly impact the results. Future research should continue to examine the relationship between stops and a town’s median income, using stops per capita as a measure.