Study commissioned by LMPD finds disparities in searches during traffic stops, but lower likelihood of contraband among Black drivers compared with White drivers

A study commissioned by the Louisville Metro Police Department found racial disparities in how often officers searched drivers during traffic stops, while also finding that when Black drivers were searched, the rate of contraband found was lower than for White drivers when both groups were stopped and searched. The analysis, reported by WAVE on Aug. 5, examined approximately 37,000 traffic stops in 2025 and about 4,600 resulting searches.

According to the report, Black drivers were searched more than twice as often as White drivers in LMPD stops during the period reviewed. The study then compared search outcomes for groups that were stopped and searched, focusing on whether any contraband was found. In that comparison, the analysis reported that Black drivers were 11% less likely to have any contraband at all than White drivers.

The WAVE report also linked the department’s examination of stop-and-search patterns to an inquiry into homicide rates. While the story described the study as reflecting both traffic-stop and homicide-rate findings, the details of the homicide-rate results beyond that summary were not provided in the reported account, according to the information available for this draft.

A key element of the study, as described by WAVE, is how outcomes differ within the subset of drivers who faced searches rather than across the full set of stops. The reported “searched more than twice as often” disparity describes differences in officer action or decision-making at the point of the search. The “11% less likely” contraband outcome describes differences in results after the search occurred.

The findings raise questions about both enforcement practices and the effectiveness of searches, particularly because they suggest that disparities in who is searched do not map directly onto who is more likely to have contraband recovered. In public-safety terms, searches that are conducted at higher rates but yield lower contraband results can increase the burden on families and communities without necessarily improving evidence collection.

LMPD has not been characterized in the WAVE report as taking immediate, specific policy changes in response to the study. The reporting framed the analysis as a look at patterns in 2025 stop data and search outcomes, with the next steps expected to depend on how the department reviews the results and whether it moves to adjust training, supervision, or policy guidance for officers conducting searches.

The study’s timeline and metrics, including the number of stops and searches reviewed, may become central to any public discussion of whether current search practices align with department goals for constitutional policing. As local oversight and community stakeholders review the reported results, questions likely will focus on how LMPD explains the disparity in search frequency and how it addresses the lower contraband yield for searched Black drivers compared with searched White drivers.

For residents, the practical issue is how changes, if any, would be measured going forward, including whether future traffic-stop data show reductions in search disparities and whether contraband outcomes change in ways that maintain lawful enforcement while reducing unnecessary intrusions. WAVE’s reporting indicates the analysis is grounded in the department’s own stop data from 2025, which may provide a baseline for comparing future years.