Does revenue‐motivated policing alter who receives traffic citations? Evidence from driver race and income in Indiana

• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Author: Siân Mughan,Akheil Singla
• Date: 01 March 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13595

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Does revenue-motivated policing alter who receives traffic

citations? Evidence from driver race and income in Indiana

Siân Mughan | Akheil Singla

School of Public Affairs, Arizona State University,

Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Correspondence

Akheil Singla, School of Public Affairs, Arizona

State University, 411 N Central Avenue, Phoenix,

AZ 85004, USA.

Email: akheil.singla@asu.edu

Abstract

Revenue-motivated policing is a common explanation for law enforcement behav-

ior. This means in times of fiscal stress police alter their behavior to increase the

financial returns to their actions. But does variation in the institutional features of

local governments lead to variation in law enforcement behavior? Using a plausi-

bly exogenous measure of revenue need, this research explores how fiscal institu-

tions that determine a local government’s ability to retain ticketing revenue

interact with revenue need to affect the number of tickets issued and the type of

driver ticketed. There are four major findings. First, revenue-motivated policing

only occurs when local governments retain the revenues from ticketing. Second,

in the context of revenue retention and high revenue need, wealthier drivers are

more likely to receive tickets. Third, these effects are particularly pronounced

among White drivers. Finally, revenue-motives extend beyond law enforcement by

altering judicial decision-making. When general purpose governments do not

retain ticketing revenues from law enforcement action, there is little evidence of

revenue-motivated policing. Municipal courts play a vital role in revenue-

motivated policing by determining the distribution of ticketing revenues. When a

municipality has an increased need for additional revenue, judges pursue unpaid

ticketing debts more aggressively. Judicial behavior is thus affected by the same

fiscal pressures that lead police to engage in revenue-motivated policing.

Increased revenue need leads police to target drivers who are not typically the

subject of enforcement actions: wealthier, white drivers. We find no such effect for

Black drivers. Policies altering revenue retention are a promising way to reduce

revenue-motivated policing. But reducing revenue-motivated policing might not

improve outcomes for Black drivers.

Evidence for Practice

•When general purpose governments do not retain ticketing revenues from law

enforcement action, there is little evidence of revenue-motivated policing.

•Municipal courts play a vital role in revenue-motivated policing by determining

the distribution of ticketing revenues.

•When a municipality has an increased need for additional revenue, judges pur-

sue unpaid ticketing debts more aggressively. Judicial behavior is thus affected

by the same fiscal pressures that lead police to engage in revenue-motivated

policing.

•Increased revenue need leads police to target drivers who are not typically the

subject of enforcement actions: wealthier, white drivers. We find no such effect

for Black drivers.

•Policies altering revenue retention are a promising way to reduce revenue-

motivated policing. But reducing revenue-motivated policing might not improve

outcomes for Black drivers.

Received: 25 August 2021 Revised: 8 December 2022 Accepted: 13 December 2022

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13595

Public Admin Rev. 2023;83:353–366. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/puar © 2022 American Society for Public Administration. 353