State-of-the-art online database presents one of the most comprehensive data sets in the country for traffic stop information
July 8, 2021
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced the launch of the New Jersey State Police Traffic Stop Dashboard (the “Dashboard”), which will enable the public to view detailed information on more than six million traffic stops conducted by the New Jersey State Police over a period of more than 10 years, from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2020.
Operated by the Attorney General’s Office and developed in partnership with SAS, the Dashboard provides one of the most comprehensive statewide databases in the country for traffic stop information. The data is organized by a variety of metrics, including driver race, and users can download the full dataset for their own review. Researchers, reporters, and members of the public can access the Dashboard on the Attorney General’s Office website at njoag.gov/trafficstops.
“The New Jersey State Police Traffic Stop Dashboard is another powerful tool to promote transparency and accountability in policing in New Jersey,” said Attorney General Grewal. “It presents more than a decade of data in a format that will facilitate analysis and encourage public dialogue about this critical area of policing. Just as we are enabling law enforcement, the media, researchers, and the public to better understand how force is used by police with our Use of Force portal, this new Dashboard will give stakeholders an unprecedented look at how and why the State Police conduct traffic stops.”
“The Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards supports the New Jersey State Police with legal advice and objective monitoring designed to ensure that their policies and procedures address evolving legal principles as well as any issues identified in reported data,” said OLEPS Director Christina M. Glogoff. “With this new public dashboard, we invite citizens, advocates, and reporters to examine State Police traffic stop data themselves and perhaps contribute to a public conversation about best practices in this area.”
“The New Jersey State Police is committed to providing professional and compassionate service to the public in partnership with our communities, and we are committed to promoting transparency and accountability. We hold New Jersey State Troopers to the highest standards, which is why we have implemented multiple layers of oversight over the last two decades to identify potentially deficient patrol practices or behaviors before they become a problem,” said Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The Dashboard will be a window through which the public can view the data that we utilize to enhance and improve our training for both enlisted members and for recruits in training, and we welcome the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about how we conduct traffic stops.”
By statute, the Attorney General’s Office is required to periodically publish aggregate data of New Jersey State Police motor vehicle stops. After collecting traffic stop data for over a decade and publishing written reports, the Attorney General’s Office has now created the Dashboard to present this extensive dataset in a variety of visual and interactive displays. Throughout, the information is broken out by driver race.
The Dashboard includes graphical representations that illustrate trends over time about the reasons a state trooper stopped a motor vehicle, and the actions, if any, the trooper took after the motor vehicle stop with respect to the driver and any other occupants, including:
• Summonses issued
• Warnings issued
• Arrests
• Consent searches conducted
• Probable cause searches conducted
• Uses of force
• Vehicle exits
• Frisks
• Canine deployments
The Dashboard continues to be a work in progress, and the Attorney General’s Office encourages users to complete a short survey at this link to offer feedback on the site: Traffic Stop Dashboard Feedback.
Since October 2020, all police officers in New Jersey have been reporting detailed information on every use of force by police through the Attorney General’s Use of Force Portal. In March, Attorney General Grewal launched a public-facing version of the statewide use of force database called the Use of Force Dashboard. The Use of Force Dashboard is accessible at njoag.gov/force.
To learn more about recent policing reforms in New Jersey, visit njoag.gov/policing.
