This report describes the first exploratory analysis of traffic citation-related data compiled by the state of Indiana’s electronic Citation and Warning system (eCWS). Since 2009, law enforcement agency usage of the eCWS has expanded to include at least one-third of Indiana law enforcement agencies. In addition to largely automating the citation issuance process, eCWS has provided the state of Indiana with an efficient and systematic way of collecting data on the race and ethnicity of drivers stopped for violations.

The focus of this report is the analytical use of information stored in eCWS to describe the race and ethnicity of individuals involved in traffic stops within the state of Indiana. The report begins with background on implementation of eCWS and its current distribution throughout the state. The second part provides a brief review of racial profiling research, with an emphasis on current best practice recommendations for the collection and interpretation of race-ethnicity data from traffic stops. The third section describes the structure of the eCWS database. The fourth part explains and defines the variables used in the analysis. The fifth section presents the analysis of persons involved, eCWS stop rates, and ticketing rates for 2009 and 2010. The report closes with a summary of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the future of Indiana’s eCWS usage.