West Virginia Code 17G-1-2 – Information obtained by law-enforcement officers during a traffic stop
Each time a law-enforcement officer stops a driver of a motor vehicle for a violation of any motor vehicle statute or ordinance, other than for a nonviolation stop, including, but not limited to, a checkpoint for driving under the influence, license, registration or seat belts, the officer shall obtain and prepare a brief report based on the officer's visual observation and perception of basic information about the nature, duration and outcome of the stop, including, but not limited to, information relating to the perceived racial characteristics of each operator stopped. The report is to be provided to the West Virginia law-enforcement agency which employs the law-enforcement officer: Provided, That the failure of the law-enforcement officer to obtain and report racial profiling data shall not affect the validity of the underlying traffic citation or warning.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17G-1-2
- Law-enforcement agency: means every state, county or municipal agency with officers who are authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests or issue citations or warnings for violations of traffic laws and ordinances. See West Virginia Code 17G-1-1
- Minority group: means individuals of any ethnic descent, including, but not limited to, African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Middle Eastern, Asian or Pacific Islander. See West Virginia Code 17G-1-1
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
The information to be collected shall include:
(a) The identifying characteristics of the operator stopped, including perceived race, ethnicity or national origin, gender and age;
(b) The location and duration of the stop;
(c) The traffic violation or violations alleged to have been committed that led to the stop;
(d) Whether or not a warning or citation was issued as a result of the stop and if so, the specific violation, if any, charged or warning given;
(e) Whether a search was performed as a result of the stop;
(f) If a search was performed, whether the person consented to the search, the probable cause or reasonable suspicion for the search, whether the person was searched, whether the person's property was searched and the duration of the search;
(g) If a search was of a passenger in the motor vehicle, the perceived age, gender and race or minority group of the passenger;
(h) Whether any contraband was discovered or seized in the course of the search and the type of any contraband discovered or seized;
(i) Identify whether the search involved canine units or advanced technology; and
(j) Any additional information which the law-enforcement agency considers appropriate.