blog post The Politics of Leaving California By Eric McGhee, Hans Johnson Oct 17, 2022 California has seen multiple years of population decline, driven in part by a growing number of people leaving the state. Political differences as to the role of government in society could be a factor in some migration decisions.
Report Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 10, 2022 Traffic stops have emerged as a key driver of racial disparities in law enforcement and an area of potential reform. Our new report examines whether certain types of traffic stops could be enforced in alternative ways that reduce racial disparities and risks to officers and civilians without jeopardizing public safety.
blog post Mass Shootings in California By Heather Harris Jul 5, 2022 Although California’s mass shooting homicide rate is lower than the national average, a mass shooting occurs here every eight days on average.
blog post Crime Trends in Context By Magnus Lofstrom Jun 30, 2022 At a town hall held by Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, PPIC’s Magnus Lofstrom discussed what research has found about the consequences of key criminal justice reforms and the pattern of long-term crime trends in California and Contra Costa County.
blog post Californians Worry over Mass Shootings, Favor Stricter Gun Laws By Rachel Lawler May 26, 2022 At least half of Californians have been concerned in recent years about a mass shooting in their area, and a majority of adults and likely voters favor stricter laws covering the sale of guns.
blog post Two Years of Wide Variation in Crime Trends By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Mar 21, 2022 Increases in crime during the first year and a half of the pandemic—particularly in homicide and aggravated assault—have been troubling, but most crime numbers are now relatively close to the low levels seen over the last decade.
blog post Concerns about Crime Are Up, Ratings of Police Have Declined By Dean Bonner Feb 14, 2022 A record-high share of Californians say violence and street crime in their community is a big problem, while ratings of how well local police are controlling crime have declined slightly.
blog post After Decreases in 2020, Both Property and Violent Crimes Are Up in 2021 By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Dec 14, 2021 Preliminary data from four major California cities—Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco—show that property and violent crime numbers have increased and are now similar to pre-pandemic levels.
Report Police Use of Force and Misconduct in California By Deepak Premkumar, Alexandria Gumbs, Shannon McConville, Renee Hsia Oct 26, 2021 Nearly 200 Californians die each year in police encounters. Amid growing concern over civilian deaths and racial injustice, we examine what the existing data can—and cannot—tell us about police use of force and misconduct. We also offer recommendations for strengthening the state’s ongoing efforts to improve police transparency and accountability.
Report Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 13, 2021 Recent debate over police reforms has centered on how law enforcement engages with people of color, prompted by continuing concerns over racial inequities in criminal justice. In our analysis of data for nearly 4 million stops, we examine how interactions—ranging from search to use of force—differ for Black and white people, while considering factors such as stop context and law enforcement agency.
