How Saugus police skew citation data by mislabeling drivers with Hispanic last names

Massachusetts law requires police to collect data about drivers for traffic stops that end in a written warning or citation. Police are not required to collect data on drivers they give verbal warnings – which police leaders estimate happen in four out of 10 stops.

When police officers write a citation, they must record basic information about the stop, including their perception of the driver’s race. Police can choose from six options set by the state: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern or American Indian/Alaska Native. While Hispanic is widely considered an ethnicity, not a race, it is the option intended for them. This information is regularly used by defense attorneys and researchers to probe patterns of potential bias.

The USA TODAY Network found that in 57 cities and towns, like Saugus – a predominantly white Boston suburb – police marked the majority of men with Hispanic surnames as white on traffic tickets.