Proactive policing has become a primary strategy for controlling violence and disorder in urban America. The key tactic is the widespread use of "Terry" stops, where police temporarily detain, frisk and perhaps search persons or their property when an officer has "reasonable suspicion" to suspect that "crime is afoot." This project will identify the effects of proactive policing on the mental and physical health of persons stopped.
Law enforcement policies will be constructively informed by the identification of common practices that adversely affect the mental health of citizens. The project will assess the effects on community mental and physical health of "stop and frisk" or "Terry" stops, the dominant law enforcement strategy for violence reduction in urban areas.