PPB Releases 2023 Annual Stops Data Report

Portland Police Badge

June 21, 2024 10:42

The Portland Police Bureau is releasing the Stops Data Collection Report that covers 2023 stops and search data analysis.

The report has been posted to the Portland Police Bureau’s website and can be found here: https://www.portland.gov/police/open-data/documents/2023-stops-data-collection-report/download

In 2023, PPB officers performed 17,113 driver stops across the city. This is a 26% increase over the previous year and the first time the number of stops increased in five years. Analysts believe the increase is almost entirely due to increased activity from the Traffic Division as their total number of stops more than doubled compared to 2022 (3,028 in 2022 vs. 6,429 in 2023). This increase is attributable to the decision to reassign personnel to the Traffic Division after more than two years without dedicated traffic patrol personnel.

The stops performed by personnel assigned to units other than the Traffic Division were essentially static over the prior year (10,536 stops in 2022 vs. 10,684 in 2023). Outside of the three precincts, personnel from the Specialized Resources Division – namely the Focused Intervention Team (FIT) – were the only other unit to conduct a sizeable number of stops in 2023 (966 driver and 4 pedestrian stops).

In 2023, 97.8% of drivers were stopped for traffic reasons alone with speeding as the primary offense observed by Traffic Officers (48.8%) and missing or expired license violations as the predominant stop reasons from non-Traffic personnel (31.3%). Drivers perceived to be Black/African American were significantly more likely to be stopped for a Non-Moving Violation by Non-Traffic Personnel than other perceived racial/ethnic groups.

“The release of this report is another example of the transparency continually exhibited by the Portland Police Bureau,” said Chief Bob Day. “I understand how the community may perceive the increase in driver stops in 2023, particularly by our Focused Intervention Team. I believe there is a correlation between the stops and the work FIT is asked to do to combat gun violence. We will continue to engage with the Focused Intervention Team Community Oversight Group, and other stakeholders, in discussions on how to keep the community safe in the most equitable manner possible.”

The Portland Police Bureau has been collecting data on traffic and pedestrian stops since 2001 based on recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on Racial Profiling. From the program’s outset, officers were required to log their perceptions of driver/pedestrian race, gender, and general age (minor vs. adult); the reason for the stop; whether a search was conducted, the type of search conducted, and results of the search; and the overall outcome of the stop. The Bureau’s stops application automatically connects to the Bureau’s computer-aided-dispatch (CAD) and electronic citation (eCite) systems to aid in the accountability of Stops report completion. The newest version of the stops data collection system launched on June 27, 2018.

All PPB’s Stops Data reports are located here: https://www.portland.gov/police/open-data/stops-data

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