Policy Brief Policy Brief: Racial Disparities in Traffic Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 10, 2022 Our findings suggest that nighttime traffic stops for non-moving violations—especially those made by local police and sheriff departments—deserve consideration for alternative enforcement strategies. However, any changes need to be balanced against the possibility of hampering efforts to confiscate dangerous contraband, especially firearms.
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 New Law Raises Standards for Police Officers By Shannon McConville, Deepak Premkumar Jan 26, 2022 A new state law raises the minimum age for law enforcement—from 18 to 21—and requires California’s community college system to create a new policing degree program. How might these changes affect the law enforcement workforce?
blog post Video: Policing in California By Stephanie Barton Nov 10, 2021 PPIC’s Deepak Premkumar and Magnus Lofstrom discuss new reports that examine racial disparities in law enforcement stops and analyze police use of force and misconduct.
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.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Joseph Hayes, Brandon Martin, Deepak Premkumar Oct 13, 2021 In an effort to directly confront concerns over racial inequities in criminal justice, California passed the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) in 2015. RIPA data on law enforcement stops reveal that Black Californians have notably different experiences during stops than white Californians.
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.
blog post Who Do California’s Police Officers Stop – and Why? By Amalia Mejia, Brandon Martin, Magnus Lofstrom Sep 29, 2021 An analysis of “stop data” shows that Latinos are less likely to be stopped for reasonable suspicion than Black or white individuals, but more likely than others to be stopped for a traffic violation.
blog post Racial Disparities in California Law Enforcement Stops By Magnus Lofstrom, Alexandria Gumbs, Brandon Martin Dec 3, 2020 According to the latest data for California’s largest law enforcement agencies, the reasons for officer stops vary by agency type and across racial groups.
blog post How Much Do California Cities Spend on Policing? By Brandon Martin, Alexandria Gumbs Oct 2, 2020 On a per resident basis, cities’ spending on policing ranges from less than $100 to several thousand dollars, with the vast majority spending between $150 and $450.