In 2001, the Maryland State Legislature enacted a law requiring all Maryland law enforcement agencies to adopt a policy against race-based traffic stops.  The Anne Arundel County Police Department established, and continues to follow, a Biased Based Profiling Policy, which “prohibits officers from using an individual’s race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, economic status, age, culture group, or any other identifiable grouping as the sole justification to initiate traffic contacts. In compliance with this law, the Anne Arundel County Police Department acted expeditiously to develop a Traffic Stop Data Sheet meeting legal requirements. From 2003 to 2006, there were 133,324 total traffic stop data sheets (TSDS) submitted for analysis.

Residency of Stopped Motorist         
                                      
Due to the location of Anne Arundel County, situated between the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan area, the number of non-resident drivers has a significant impact on the county’s driver demographics. In fact, 30.6 % of all TSDS stops were drivers residing outside Anne Arundel County.

Anne Arundel County and the Baltimore/Washington region are comprised of a diverse population. Based on US Census data, the following represents this diversity. The Anne Arundel County Police Department takes pride in being completely open and receptive to the citizens it serves.  In order to accomplish its mission and effectively perpetuate a community policing philosophy, the police department must establish and maintain the trust of the

community. The mere perception of Biased Based Profiling threatens to erode this trust.  This is an issue the police department accepts as a matter of public importance, and is dedicated to taking all necessary steps to include the community in the ongoing discussion and analysis of this matter.