Testing for Racial Profiling With the Veil-of-Darkness Method

• NCJ Number: 239165
• Journal: Police Quarterly Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2012 Pages: 92-111
• Author(s): Robert E. Worden; Sarah J. McLean; Andrew P. Wheeler
• Date Published: March 2012
• Length: 20 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study conducted research using the veil-of-darkness method to examine research on racial profiling.

Abstract

The "veil-of-darkness" method is an innovative and low-cost approach that circumvents many of the benchmarking issues that arise in testing for racial profiling. Changes in natural lighting are used to establish a presumptively more race-neutral benchmark on the assumption that after dark, police suffer an impaired ability to detect motorists' race. Applying the veil-of-darkness method to vehicle stops by the Syracuse (NY) police between 2006 and 2009 and examining differences among officers assigned to specialized traffic units and crime-suppression units, the study found that African-Americans were no more likely to be stopped during daylight than during darkness, indicating no racial bias. (Published Abstract)