Community members will soon have the opportunity to learn more about a planned Douglas County study on the racial breakdown of law enforcement contact for traffic and pedestrian stops.

The county’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, or CJCC, will host a presentation about the upcoming study at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., according to a Douglas County news release.

Karrey Britt, a spokeswoman for the county, said the event would aim to educate the public about the study.

As the Journal-World previously reported, the CJCC found that African Americans are disproportionately represented in the county jail population. The study will help county law enforcement agencies develop and implement programs for documenting traffic and pedestrian stops, analyze the data collected to determine if disproportionalities exist and make recommendations to address any disproportionate contact.

The Douglas County government, sheriff’s office, and the police departments of Lawrence, the University of Kansas, Eudora and Baldwin City are backing the two-year, $175,000 study through Northeastern University, according to the news release.

Britt said the researchers were expected to begin collecting data in January.