Code of Maine Rules
26 - DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
239 - DEPARTMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL - GENERAL
Chapter 500 - RULES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT COLLECTION OF TRAFFIC STOP DATA TO ELIMINATE PROFILING
Section 239-500-2 - DATA ELEMENTS TO BE COLLECTED
Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
Each law enforcement agency shall collect the following information in the manner described and per the timeline set forth in section III of these rules for submission to the Attorney General. The information shall pertain to the total number of times law enforcement officers employed by the law enforcement agency stopped drivers of motor vehicles for any alleged traffic infraction and shall include:
1. Law enforcement agency name and location.
2. Location, date and time of stop.
3. Perceived Race of Person Stopped. When reporting this data element, the officer shall select from: White Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
4. Perceived Color of Person Stopped. When reporting this data element, the officer shall select from: White Brown Black Other non-White
5. Perceived Ethnicity of Person Stopped. When reporting this data element, the officer shall select from: Hispanic or Latino(a) Non-Hispanic or Latino(a)
6. Perceived Gender of Person Stopped. When reporting this data element, the law enforcement officer shall select from: Male Female Non-binary or Other Gender
7. Perceived Age of Person Stopped. When reporting this data element, the law enforcement officer shall record their perception of the age in years of the person stopped in numeric format (e.g. 53).
8. Reason for Stop/Nature of Alleged Infraction. When reporting this data element, the law enforcement officer shall record the relevant Maine Revised Statute number(s) that formed the basis of any alleged infraction(s) or violation(s) leading to the stop.
9. Result of Stop. When reporting this data element, the law enforcement officer shall indicate any of the following that apply Arrest Citation Search Warning No Action Taken
10. Any additional information the law enforcement agency determines appropriate. The additional information may not include any other personally identifiable information about a person stopped for a traffic infraction such as the person's driver's license number, name or address.
11. When reporting the data elements of perceived race, color, ethnicity, gender and age, the law enforcement officer shall make their determination of the person's race, color, ethnicity, gender and age based only on personal observation and perception made during the course of the traffic stop. The officer shall not ask the person stopped their race, color, ethnicity, gender or age, or ask questions or make comments or statements designed to elicit this information.
