blog post Retail Theft and Robbery Rates Have Risen across California By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 7, 2023 California has seen an overall increase in retail theft and robbery rates in recent years. Our analysis finds especially notable increases in the Bay Area and the Central Valley, with certain commercial crimes also increasing substantially in parts of southern California.
blog post A Large Proportion of Crime Goes Unsolved in California By Magnus Lofstrom May 11, 2023 California’s clearance rates—the shares of reported crimes for which police make an arrest and refer the arrestee to prosecution—are better than those nationwide. Still, statewide less than half of violent crimes and only one in ten property crimes are cleared.
blog post Video: Pandemic Policymaking and Changed Outcomes in Criminal Courts By Stephanie Barton Apr 28, 2023 PPIC researcher Heather Harris discusses a new report on the effects of policies put in place by California courts to address pandemic conditions, with a focus on remote hearings.
Report Pandemic Policymaking and Changed Outcomes in Criminal Courts By Heather Harris Apr 12, 2023 California’s criminal courts quickly adopted policies to address COVID-19. But uneven adoption around the state affected who might face those policies—as well as whether people were convicted and the sentences handed out. In particular, remote hearings contributed to racial differences in outcomes, which may influence whether such hearings continue.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Pandemic Policymaking and Changed Outcomes in Criminal Courts By Heather Harris, Stephanie Barton Apr 12, 2023 Remote hearings are the major policy to endure from pandemic interventions introduced by California criminal courts. When remote hearings were in place, misdemeanor convictions fell—and courts tended to hand out probation or fines for these crimes, especially among white, Latino, and Black defendants.
blog post Video: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Arrests in California By Mary Severance Feb 17, 2023 PPIC researcher Deepak Premkumar discusses findings from a new report that examines arrest trends in the early part of the pandemic and outlines key factors that require further research.
Report Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Arrests in California By Deepak Premkumar, Thomas Sloan, Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes Feb 7, 2023 At the onset of COVID-19, California’s criminal justice system was affected by shelter-in-place orders and other public health measures, along with law enforcement directives intended to minimize exposure to the virus. We found that pandemic arrest trends mirror mobility patterns, particularly early on. But other factors, such as a shift in policing strategies, also played a role.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Arrests in California By Deepak Premkumar, Thomas Sloan, Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes Feb 7, 2023 California’s criminal justice system was affected by shelter-in-place orders and other public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with law enforcement directives intended to minimize exposure to the virus. We found that pandemic arrest trends mirror mobility patterns, particularly early on. But other factors also played a role.
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 Historic Law Aims to Improve Police Accountability and Transparency By Deepak Premkumar, Shannon McConville Feb 25, 2022 A new California law bars police officers who commit serious misconduct from serving in any of the state’s law enforcement agencies and also aims to make data on misconduct more accessible.
