UNO Researchers Leading Statewide Effort to Support Fair, Safe Traffic Stops in Nebraska

In Nebraska, like in most communities, the most common interaction between community members and law enforcement is through traffic stops. And the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is leading a state-wide, multi-year research effort to make those traffic stops safer and fairer for all.

UNO researchers are working with law enforcement agencies to better understand the patterns behind them and how traffic stop data is collected and reported.

➡️ What’s new: UNO’s Nebraska Center for Justice Research (NCJR), along with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (SCCJ), are partnering with the Nebraska Department of Transportation’s Highway Safety Office on a research initiative, funded by NDOT to support fair and safe traffic stops in Nebraska.

💡Why it matters: Through analyzing data, Nebraska police agencies can better understand traffic enforcement and identify opportunities to strengthen and improve their policing practices as well as transparency, consistency, and public trust.

• In 2024, more than 383,600 traffic stops were reported across 185 law enforcement agencies in Nebraska
• In 2025, more than 445,900 traffic stops were reported across 183 law enforcement agencies in Nebraska

⏱️ Catch up quick: The project builds on the current ‘gold standard’ for analyzing traffic stop outcomes, called the Connecticut Model. The model has been implemented in several states to help agencies better understand their own traffic enforcement practices.

🔎 What’s happening: The project is currently in its second phase.

• Researchers from the SCCJ Violence Intervention and Policing Research Lab (VIPR) are conducting a statewide survey of law enforcement agencies to learn how their traffic stop data is currently collected and reported
• From there, the project aims to strengthen the state’s traffic stop data infrastructure, including improving data completeness, reporting consistency and analytical capacity
• The project will support training opportunities on officer wellness, trauma-informed policing, and implicit bias to further strengthen traffic enforcement and safety

📈 Nebraska numbers:

• 2 counties had no traffic stop data reported (2025)
• 11 counties had incomplete traffic stop data reported (2025)
• 80 out of 93 counties had complete traffic stop data reported (2025)
• In 2025, 92.3% of all active policing agencies reported all four quarters of traffic stop data
• In 2024, 89.4% of all active policing agencies reported all four quarters of traffic stop data

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Ryan Spohn, Ph.D., Director of NCJR, SCCJ: “We are incredibly grateful for the continued partnership and collaboration with NDOT, as well as with law enforcement agencies across Nebraska. This work is important, and will help build stronger relationships, increased transparency, and data-driven solutions for safer communities and people. UNO is proud to be leading this effort, and grateful to each stakeholder who is helping this project move forward.”
• Justin Nix, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Sadaf Hashimi, Ph.D., Associate Professor, and Travis Carter, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, VIPR Lab, SCCJ: “The VIPR Lab is committed to supporting research aimed at making Nebraska safer for community members and law enforcement officers. This effort focuses on practical improvements over time, and ongoing participation from community stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, and researchers reflects a shared commitment to strengthening our communities."

🌎 The big picture: This effort lead by UNO leaders and researchers is strengthening UNO’s campus, Omaha, and Nebraska through teamwork, dynamic partnerships and shared resources, all of which exemplifies the university's core value of engagement.

📌 Award Info:

• Funding amount: $994,510
• Funder: Nebraska Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office
• Award number: 1906-26-03