blog post Californians Want Recall Reforms on the 2022 Ballot By Mark Baldassare Mar 24, 2022 Nearly six in ten likely voters, including about half or more across partisan groups and regions, want the electorate to weigh in on proposed recall reforms this year.
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 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.
blog post The Recall Election and California’s Political Future By Mark Baldassare Oct 22, 2021 With the vote count for the 2021 gubernatorial recall now certified, what do the results—and the high voter engagement—say about the state of the state as well as California’s electoral landscape?
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 Californians Continue to Favor Stricter Gun Laws By Rachel Lawler May 28, 2021 PPIC’s May survey—fielded prior to the shooting at a San Jose transit facility this week—finds that a solid majority of Californians favor stricter state gun regulations, a share consistent with our prior surveys.
blog post California’s Major Cities See Increases in Homicides and Car Thefts By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Apr 27, 2021 New crime data show that four major cities—Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, and San Francisco—have seen an increase in homicides and car thefts, though violent and property crimes overall remain below pre-pandemic levels.
blog post Hidden Risk of Domestic Violence during COVID-19 By Joseph Hayes, Heather Harris Jul 21, 2020 Although police reports of domestic violence do not seem to have increased during shelter-in-place, data from hotlines and service providers suggest a troubling upward trend.