Massachusetts Halted Racial Profiling Traffic Reports

Rising contract costs and a lack of dedicated funding forced the state to suspend mandatory traffic stop data analysis.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Massachusetts Halted Racial Profiling Traffic Reports

Live Poll

Should the state fund transparency reports even if costs significantly exceed original budget estimates?

The Executive Office of Public Safety stopped issuing mandated annual racial profiling reports in 2024. Officials stated that high bidding costs for research services exceeded the agency's available budget.

Why it matters

The reporting mandate lacks a dedicated funding source, creating a barrier to compliance with a 2019 state law. Without these annual reports, the state cannot effectively monitor traffic stops for potential profiling as originally intended.

The agency is currently evaluating funding options to resume reporting after bids for 2025 and 2026 services spiked. The state mandate requires the RMV to collect race, age, and gender data during all citation stops.

The players

Executive Office of Public Safety

This Massachusetts agency oversees public safety policies and is responsible for producing mandatory traffic stop analysis.

Secretary Kwon

The official provided testimony to the Senate oversight committee regarding the status of the traffic stop reporting mandate.

The details

State law requires the Executive Office of Public Safety to provide traffic stop data to a Massachusetts-based university or nonprofit for independent analysis. If evidence of profiling is discovered, agencies are legally required to mandate implicit bias training and collect further stop data.

2019: State law passed requiring racial profiling reporting.
2020-2022: Years covered by the two reports already issued.
May 2026: EOPSS issued a new solicitation for research bidders.
October 7, 2026: Secretary Kwon testified to the Senate oversight committee.

Legal Context

The current failure to produce reports marks a significant departure from the goals established by the 2019 Massachusetts state law requiring racial profiling traffic stop analysis. This suspension highlights the difficulty of maintaining state mandates that lack dedicated funding streams.

The absence of published data limits the public's ability to see if local law enforcement agencies are meeting implicit bias training requirements. Without these reports, residents have less visibility into whether state-mandated stops are being conducted equitably.

The takeaway

The state's inability to fund necessary research highlights how mandates can fail without sustainable fiscal support. Citizens can monitor future legislative sessions to see if lawmakers approve dedicated funding to restore these transparency measures.