Data visualization: Boston FIO stop and frisk patterns
Data visualizations by Rudi Anna

The Field Investigation/Observation program, known as FIO for short, is a stop-and-frisk procedure conducted by the Boston Police Department (BPD). But various instances in recent years have revealed patterns of blatant racial profiling, particularly toward African-Americans, within the program's field conduct.

According to the FIO data released by the BPD in 2014, as many as 66,691 stop and frisks were conducted between 2013 and 2014. Out of those incidents, 19,900 of them were done on black civilians — which makes up 60 percent of that year's FIOs.

The disparity is notable, considering only about 22 percent of Boston's population is African-American.

66,691
Stop-and-frisks conducted by the BPD, 2013–2014
60%
Of all FIOs conducted on Black civilians
Black residents represent ~22% of Boston's population
2.5%
FIO arrest or seizure rate for Black civilians
4.6%
FIO arrest or seizure rate for white civilians
Nearly double the rate for Black civilians

What is more interesting is that only 2.5 percent of stop and frisks conducted on black civilians resulted in actual seizures or arrests — while that number is nearly double among white civilians, who are arrested at a rate of 4.6 percent.

Data visualization: Black FIOs 2013–2014, Boston Police Department
Black FIOs, 2013–2014. Data visualizations by Rudi Anna.
Data source: Field Investigation/Observation (FIO) records released by the Boston Police Department, 2014. All data visualizations by Rudi Anna.