Contacts Between Police and the Public: Street Stops

"In 2020, the majority (75%) of U.S. residents whose most recent police contact was a street stop experienced no resulting enforcement action (table 6). Residents who did experience an enforcement action most often received a warning (16%), while being searched or arrested (5%) or given a ticket (3%) was less common. About 5% of residents were searched or arrested during their street stop in 2020, marking a nearly 60% decline from the 13% searched or arrested in 2018.

"Females (78% in 2018 and 83% in 2020) were more likely than males (68% in both years) to experience no enforcement action during their street stop. A higher percentage of white persons (77%) than black persons (63%) experienced no enforcement action during their street stop in 2020. In both 2018 and 2020, persons ages 16 to 24 were less likely than any other age group to experience no enforcement action during a street stop."