Police stops skyrocketing in Vermont

Vermont is overpoliced, and more so every year. That statement may be surprising or even jarring to some, but it is based on a growing body of data collected by Vermont police themselves.

UVM Professor Stephanie Seguino, along with Professor Nancy Brooks and data analyst Pat Autilio, have reviewed that data, and their findings are alarming.

Specifically, Vermont drivers are subjected to a large and growing number of traffic stops — at a rate far above the national average. From 2015 to 2019, police in Vermont stopped motorists at nearly three times the national average — 255 drivers stopped per 1,000 residents, compared to 86 drivers per 1,000 residents nationally.

There is of course wide variation between police departments. Bennington police, for example, stop motorists at a rate that is more than seven times the national average. But the picture that emerges shows Vermont police stopping drivers at alarmingly high rates statewide — and the data show that this problem is only getting worse over time.

Read more: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/opinion/columnists/police-stops-skyrocketing-in-vermont/article_0c31fbe8-6af4-11eb-9fed-0b6b9e192fb3.html