2008 PPCS Questionnaire

2008 PPCS FINAL QUESTIONNAIRE
E. CONTACT SCREEN QUESTIONS
FIELD REPRESENTATIVE - Read introduction

INTRO 1-

OMB No.: 1121-0260
Expires: 5/31/2011

Now I would like to ask some questions about any contacts you may have had with the police. We estimate the survey
will take between 2 to 10 minutes depending on your responses.
1G
2G
3G
4G
5G

1. Before I get to the questions about contacts you may
have had with the police, I would like to find out how
often you usually drive. Do you currently drive..
(Read answer categories.)

Everyday or almost every day?
A few days a week?
A few days a month?
A few times a year?
Never?

1 G Yes
2 G No -SKIP to Check Item G

2. During the last 12 months, that is, any time since _____,
2007, did you have any face-to-face contact with a
police officer?
Please exclude telephone contacts, contacts with
private security guards, police officers you see socially,
or relatives who are police officers. Also exclude any
police contacts that occurred because your
employment or volunteer work brought you into regular
contact with police officers.
3. How many face-to-face contacts did you have with the
police during the last 12 months?
CHECK ITEM A

___________ Number of contacts - Goto Check Item A

1 G Yes -READ INTRO 2
2 G No - SKIP to item 4

Did the respondent report more than
one contact with police in item 3?

F. USE OF FORCE DURING CONTACT
FIELD REPRESENTATIVE- Read introduction.
INTRO 2 - For the rest of the interview, please tell me ONLY about the MOST RECENT face-to-face contact you had with the
police.
4.

About what time did this contact occur?

During day
1 G After 6 a.m. - 12 noon
2 G After 12 noon - 6 p.m.
3 G Don’t know what time of day
At night
4 G After 6 p.m. - 12 midnight
5 G After 12 midnight - 6 a.m.
6 G Don’t know what time of night
OR
7 G Don’t know whether day or night

5.

During this contact, did the police USE or THREATEN
TO USE force against you for any reason?

1G
2G
3G

Yes - Ask Item 6
No - SKIP to Item 9
Don’t know -SKIP to Item 9

YES

NO

1G
1G
1G
1G
1G

2G
2G
2G
2G
2G

1G

2G

1G

2G

1G
1G

2G
2G

6. Did the police....

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
I.

Shout at you?
Curse at you?
Threaten to use force against you?
Actually push or grab you?
Actually kick or hit you?
Actually spray you with chemical or pepper
spray?
Actually use an electroshock weapon against
you, such as a stun gun?
Actually point a gun at you?
Use any other type of force?

Please specify - ú_____________________________________

1

7. Do you feel any of the force used or threatened against
you was excessive?

1G
2G

Yes
No

8. Were you injured as a result of this contact?

1G
2G

Yes
No - Skip to Item 9

8a. What were the injuries you suffered?

1G
2G
3G
4G
5G
6G
7G

Gun shot, bullet wounds
Broken bones or teeth knocked out
Internal injuries
Knocked unconscious
Bruises, black eye, cuts, scratches, swelling, chipped teeth
Emotionally traumatized
Other - specify

Mark all that apply.

9. During this contact were you arrested?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

10. During this contact were you handcuffed?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

11. At any time during this contact, did you argue with,
curse at, insult, or verbally threaten the police?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

12. At any time during this contact, did you ...

YES NO

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

1G
1G
1G
1G
1G

Disobey or interfere with the officer(s)?
Try to get away?
Push, grab, or hit the police officer(s)?
Resist being handcuffed, arrested, or searched?
Physically do anything else? Please specify

2G
2G
2G
2G
2G

Please specify - ú_____________________________________
G. REASON FOR CONTACT
13.

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 45
2 G No

Did this contact occur because you were involved in
or witnessed a traffic ACCIDENT?

14a. Did this contact occur during a traffic STOP?

1 G Yes
2 G No - SKIP to item 15

14b. Were you the driver or the passenger of the vehicle
that was stopped?

1 G Driver - SKIP to item 20
2 G Passenger - SKIP to Item 45

15.

1 G Yes - SKIP to Item 45
2 G No

Did this contact occur because you reported a crime
or some other problem to the police?

16. Did this contact occur because the police were
providing some sort of service or assistance to you?

1 G Yes - SKIP to Item 45
2 G No

17.

Did this contact occur because the police were
investigating a crime?

1 G Yes - SKIP to Item 45
2 G No

18.

Did this contact occur because the police suspected
you of something?

1 G Yes - SKIP to Item 45
2 G No

19.

What was the reason for this contact?

Describe briefly - ú
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

_
_

SKIP to Item 45
H. REASON FOR TRAFFIC STOP
20.

1 G Yes - ASK item 21a
2 G No - SKIP to item 23
3 G Don’t know - SKIP to item 23

Did the police officer(s) give a reason for stopping the
vehicle?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21a. Was the reason speeding?

2

21b. A vehicle defect?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21c. A record check?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21d. A roadside check for drunk drivers?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21e. A seatbelt violation?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21f.

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

An illegal turn or illegal lane change?

21g. A stop sign or stop light violation?

1 G Yes - SKIP to item 22
2 G No

21h. Was there some other reason?

1 G Yes - Please specify ú
2 G No

22.

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

Would you say that the police officer(s) had a
legitimate reason for stopping you?

I. CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAFFIC STOP
23. In your initial contact with police, was there one or
more than one officer present?

1 G One officer - ASK item 24a
2 G More than one officer - SKIP to item 24b

24a. Was the race of the police officer White, Black, or
some other race?

1G
2G
3G
4G

White - SKIP to Item 25
Black - SKIP to Item 25
Some other race - SKIP to Item 25
Don’t know - SKIP to Item 25

24b. Were the police officers:

1G
2G
3G
4G
5G
6G
7G
8G

All White?
All Black?
All of some other race?
Mostly White?
Mostly Black?
Mostly some other race?
Equally mixed?
Don’t know race of any/some

(Read answer categories 1-7.)

25.

Were there any other persons in the vehicle with you
at the time of the traffic stop?

26.

How many other persons were in the vehicle with
you at the time of the traffic stop?

27.

Did this traffic stop occur in the same
city/town/village as your present residence?

1 G Yes – ASK item 26
2 G No – SKIP to item 27

_________ Number of persons

1 G Yes
2 G No

28. How many minutes would you say the traffic stop
lasted?

_________ Number of minutes

3

J. TRAFFIC STOP - VEHICLE/PERSONAL SEARCH
29.

At any time during this traffic stop, did the police
officer(s)

a.

ASK PERMISSION to conduct a vehicle search?

b.

Actually conduct a vehicle search?

c.

ASK PERMISSION to search you, frisk you, or pat you
down?

d.

Actually search you, frisk you, or pat you down?

30. Whether or not the police officer(s) asked for
PERMISSION, at any time during this traffic stop did
you GIVE the police officer(s)...
a. PERMISSION to conduct a vehicle search?

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

1 G Yes

2 G No

3 G Don’t know

b. PERMISSION to search you, frisk you, or pat you
down?
Check Item X

31.

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

Do you think the police officer(s) had a legitimate
reason to search the vehicle?

Check Item Y
32.

1 G Yes - Ask Item 31
2 G No - Skip to - Skip to Check Item Y
3 G Don’t know - Skip to Check Item Y

Is item 29B marked ‘Yes’.

1 G Yes - Ask Item 32
2 G No - Skip to Check Item B

Is Item 29d marked ‘Yes’

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

Do you think the police officer(s) had a legitimate
reason to search you, frisk you, or pat you down?

CHECK
ITEM B

Did the police officer(s) search the
vehicle OR the respondent?

1 G Yes - Ask item 34
2 G No - SKIP to item 36

Is box 1 marked in item 29b or item
29d?
34.

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

During the search, did the police officer(s) find any
illegal items, such as a weapon, drugs, or an open
container of alcohol?

CHECK ITEM C

1 G Yes - ASK item 35
2 G No - SKIP to item 36

Was the respondent arrested and
searched?
Is box 1 marked in item 9 and box 1
marked in item 29b or 29d?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

35. Earlier you said that you were arrested and searched.
Did the search occur before you were arrested?

K. OUTCOME OF TRAFFIC STOP
36. During this contact were you given a traffic ticket?
Please exclude any verbal or written warnings given to
you by the police.

1 G Yes - Go to Check Item Z
2 G No - SKIP to item 39
3 G Don’t know - SKIP to item 39

Check Item Z

1 G Yes - Ask item 37
2 G No - Skip to item 38

Did the police give the respondent a reason
for stopping the vehicle. Is question 20
marked ‘Yes’?

1 G Yes – SKIP to item 37b
2 G No - ASK item 38
3 G Don’t know - ASK item 38

37. Earlier you said that the police stopped you for
Import from item 21a-21h , was this what you were
ticketed for?

4

1 G Yes - Ask item 38
2 G No - Skip to item 41

37b. Were you ticketed for anything else?

38.

What were you ticketed for?

Please specify _______________________________________
SKIP TO item 41

39. During this contact were you given a warning?

1 G Yes - ASK item 40
2 G No - SKIP to item 41
3 G Don’t know - SKIP to item 41

40. Were you given a written warning or a verbal warning?

1 G Verbal
2 G Written
3 G Don’t know

41. Did you get out of the vehicle at any time because the
police asked or told you to?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

42. Looking back on this contact, do you feel the police
behaved properly or improperly?

1 G Properly - SKIP to Item 44
2 G Improperly - ASK item 43
3 G Don’t know -SKIP to Item 44

43. Did you file a complaint against the police?

1 G Yes
2 G No

44. Looking back on this contact, do you feel the police
treated you respectfully or disrepectfully?

1 G Respectfully - SKIP to Check Item D
2 G Disrespectfully - SKIP to Check Item D
3 G Don’t know - SKIP to Check Item D

L. OTHER CONTACT - PERSONAL SEARCH
1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

45. Did this contact occur at or near your home?

46.

At any time during this contact, did the police
officer(s) ASK PERMISSION to search you, frisk you,
or pat you down?

47.

Whether or not the police officer(s) asked for
PERMISSION, at any time during this contact did you
GIVE the police officer(s) PERMISSION to search you,
frisk you, or pat you down?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know
1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

48. Did the police officer(s) actually search you, frisk you,
or pat you down?

1 G Yes
2 G No - SKIP to item 51
3 G Don’t know – SKIP to item 51

49

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

During the search, did the police officer(s) find any
illegal items, such as a weapon, drugs, or an open
container of alcohol?

50. Do you think the police officer(s) had a legitimate
reason to search you, frisk you, or pat you down?

1
2
3

G Yes
G No
G Don’t know

M. OUTCOME OF OTHER CONTACT
51. Looking back on this contact, do you feel the police
behaved properly or improperly?

1 G Properly – SKIP to Item 53
2 G Improperly - ASK item 52
3 G Don’t know – SKIP to Item 53

52. Did you file a complaint against the police?

1 G Yes
2 G No

5

1 G Respectfully - Go to Check Item D
2 G Disrespectfully -Go to Check Item D
3 G Don’t know - Go to Check Item D

53. Looking back on this contact, do you feel the police
treated you respectfully or disrespectfully?

CHECK ITEM D

1 G Yes - Go to Check Item E
2 G No – SKIP to Check Item G

Did the respondent have more than
one face-to-face contact in the last
12 months?
Is the entry in item 3 more than “1”?

CHECK ITEM E

1 G Yes - SKIP to Check Item F
2 G No – ASK item 54

Was the respondent the driver in a
traffic stop in
the most recent contact?
Is box 1 marked in item 14b?

1 G Yes – Go to Check Item F
2 G No – Go to Check Item F

54. During any of your EARLIER contacts with police in
the last 12 months, were you the DRIVER in a
TRAFFIC STOP?
CHECK ITEM F

1 G Yes – SKIP to Check Item G
2 G No – ASK Item 55

Was force used or threatened
against the respondent in the most
recent contact?
Is box 1 marked in item 5?

1 G Yes
2 G No
3 G Don’t know

55. During any of your EARLIER contacts with police in
the last 12 months, did the police USE or
THREATEN TO USE force against you?
CHECK ITEM G

1G
2G

Is this the last household member to
be interviewed?

6

Yes -END SUPPLEMENT
No - Interview next NCVS household member