The Citation Project Report—1st Report

Editor's Note:  This is the first post by Ethan Rex, who has served as the Project Manager for the Criminal Justice Innovation Lab since June 2020. We welcome Ethan to the blog! The UNC School of Government Criminal Justice Innovation Lab recently released a report of early findings for the Citation Project. Executed by the Lab and the North Carolina Association of Chiefs of Police (NCACP), the Citation Project seeks to improve policing practices through implementation and rigorous evaluation of a model citation in lieu of arrest policy. Initial findings from the first report are promising: citations are being heavily used in pilot sites, there were no racial disparities in warrantless arrests, implementation is strong, magistrates’ bail decisions suggest the policy is working as intended, and use of citations results in substantial time savings for police departments. What is a “citation in lieu of arrest” policy? A citation in lieu of arrest policy, as the name implies, recommends use of a citation instead of a warrantless arrest in certain instances. For this project, we worked with law enforcement leaders to develop a model citation in lieu of arrest policy. The model policy, while expressly preserving officer discretion, recommends use of a citation in misdemeanor incidents except when: The law requires an arrest; Release on citation will not reasonably assure the defendant’s appearance in court; will pose a danger of injury to any person; or is likely to result in destruction of evidence, subornation of perjury, or intimidation of potential witnesses; or Exigent [...]