Data on use of force incidents were provided by WPD. However, racial disparities in use of force could not be reliably assessed because the total number of incidents recorded was below CPE’s minimum sample size requirements for conducting complex statistical analyses of racial disparities. WPD did not collect data on pedestrian stops during the assessment period.
Watertown, CT 2022
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
This assessment analyzes policing data, along with demographic and crime data, to identify which policing practices have patterns of racial disparities, and what factors may be contributing to those disparities.
Watertown Police Department (WPD) joined CPE’s National Justice Database project in February 2021. WPD shared data with CPE in order to receive analyses intended to support community and law enforcement collaboration on data-informed efforts to enhance equity in public safety. This assessment analyzes vehicle stop data from October 2013 – December 2020 and calls for service and officer activity data from January 1, 2014 – July 1, 2020.
Some key findings from the assessment are displayed below. These findings are described and explained in detail in the tabbed sections found at the top of this page. When viewing specific findings in each tab, readers can click the captions to filter results and scroll through supporting analyses to learn how we arrived at a finding.
DEPARTMENTAL CONTEXT
The population of Watertown, Connecticut is 91% White, 4.5% Latinx, 2% Black, 1.7% Asian, 0.7% Multiple Racial Groups, and 0.1% Other. The total population of Watertown, Connecticut is 21,832.
RESIDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
VEHICLE STOPS
The total number of vehicle stops recorded each year varied from a low of 1,106 in 2015 to a high of 2,923 in 2019.
VEHICLE STOPS PER YEAR
Once stopped, Latinx drivers were searched 4.4 times as often as White drivers.
SEARCH RATES AT VEHICLE STOPS
Once stopped, Black drivers were searched 4.2 times as often as White drivers.
SEARCH RATES AT VEHICLE STOPS
Black drivers who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White drivers.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN VEHICLE STOP SEARCHES
9.4% of stops of Black drivers were recorded as Equipment / License / Registration Stops, compared to 7.4% of stops of White drivers.
PROPORTION OF VEHICLE STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ARE MADE FOR EACH STOP REASON
Once stopped, Black drivers were arrested at about the same rate as White drivers. They were released with a warning or no action taken at similar rates to White drivers who were stopped. Once stopped, Latinx drivers were arrested at about the same rate as White drivers. They were released with a warning or no action taken 10 percentage points less often than White drivers who were stopped.
PROPORTION OF VEHICLE STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ENDED IN EACH OUTCOME
CALLS FOR SERVICE AND OFFICER ACTIVITY
Police recorded 86,965 total events from January 1, 2014 - July 1, 2020, including Officer-Initiated Activities and police responses to Calls for Service. 5.3% of these events involved Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats. All Other Events involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
PERCENTAGE OF CALLS FOR SERVICE AND OFFICER ACTIVITY BY EVENT TYPE
There were 580 recorded mental health events, which represent some incidents that may be better addressed using appropriate non-police responders or co-response models.
Officers engaged in 580 events that were recorded as involving individuals experiencing mental health crises.
Center for Policing Equity | Data provided by Watertown PD 2014 – 2020
NEXT STEPS
Measure and monitor
Collecting and analyzing data can help you shed light on current problems and measure future progress.
Investigate to learn more
Learn as much as possible about the situations when a disparity occurs or is most severe, in order to understand how to address it.
Identify risk factors and develop targeted interventions
You can then address risk factors by improving written policies and partnering with the community to develop targeted interventions.
Share results
Visit the Justice Navigator homepage to learn more about how to share results and take action.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding for this platform was provided by Google.org, Players Coalition, Joyce Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies. Funding for development of the National Justice Database infrastructure and the original analytic plan upon which these analyses are based was provided by the National Science Foundation, under awards led by Principal Investigators Phillip Atiba Goff, Jack Glaser, Amanda Geller, Steven Raphael, and Amelia Haviland.
Suggested citation: Center for Policing Equity (2022). Watertown Police Department, CT. Justice Navigator, justicenavigator.org.
