Some key findings from the assessment are displayed below. These findings are described and explained in detail in the tabbed sections found at the top of this page.
Long Beach, CA 2024
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
This assessment analyzes policing data, along with demographic and crime data, to identify which policing practices show patterns of racial disparities, and what factors may be contributing to those disparities.
USE OF FORCE
How did officers use force?
According to Long Beach Police Department data:
35% of all uses of force officers recorded between 2019 and 2021 were against Black people, who made up 12% of the population of Long Beach.
This racial disparity was not fully explained by neighborhood variations in crime rates, poverty, or share of Black residents. After accounting for these factors, Long Beach Police Department officers used force against Black people 4.3 times as often as White people.
What should be investigated further?
The 3 most common force types recorded overall were “Other Bodily Force,” “Takedown,” and “Taser Discharge.”
How can departments reduce disparities in use of force?
Long Beach Police Department has reported implementing each of CPE’s recommendations for improving use of force policies. Visit the Use of Force tab to learn more about the Department’s use of force policies and what counts as force for these analyses.
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TRAFFIC STOPS
Which people did officers stop and search?
According to Long Beach Police Department data:
25% of all people stopped between 2019 and 2021 were Black.
42% of all people stopped between 2019 and 2021 were Latinx.
24% of all people stopped between 2019 and 2021 were White.
Which people did officers search at stops?
At traffic stops, officers searched Black people 2.6 times as often as White people, even though Black people were less likely to possess contraband.
Officers searched 759 Black people who did not have any contraband, compared to 261 White people.
How can departments reduce disparities in traffic stops?
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NON-TRAFFIC STOPS
Which people did officers stop?
According to Long Beach Police Department data:
32% of all people stopped between 2019 and 2021 were Black.
The population of Long Beach is 12% Black.
This racial disparity was not fully explained by neighborhood variations in crime rates, poverty, or share of Black residents. After accounting for these factors, Long Beach Police Department officers stopped Black people 2 times as often as White people.
What should be investigated further?
According to Long Beach Police Department data:
At non-traffic stops, officers searched Latinx people 1.2 times as often as White people.
Officers searched 2354 Latinx people who did not have any contraband, compared to 1341 White people.
How can departments reduce disparities in non-traffic stops?
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How did officers spend their time?
Long Beach Police Department recorded 1,012,771 total events between 2019 – 2021, including both Officer-Initiated Activities and Calls for Service.
- 12% of these events involved Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats. All other events involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
- 42% of these events were Officer-Initiated Activities that involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
- 46% of these events were Calls for Service that involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
What should be investigated further?
Officers recorded 22,169 mental health events from 2019 – 2020. Long Beach Police Department has had the Mental Evaluation Team since 1996, a co-response team in which officers partner with mental health clinicians to address events involving persons experiencing mental health crises or quality-of-life issues.
How can public safety resources be better aligned with community needs?
Long Beach Police Department also has a Police Department Community Service Assistant Program that allows non-sworn police employees to respond to certain calls that do not require police officer assistance. Visit the Departmental Context tab of this assessment to learn more about this and similar efforts to redesign public safety in Long Beach.
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NEXT STEPS TO REDUCE DISPARITIES
Our resources can help communities and law enforcement agencies assess solutions and take action to reduce racial disparities in policing and design more equitable public safety systems.
OUR METHODOLOGY
Visit the Justice Navigator homepage to learn more about the methodologies we use.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This platform has been generously supported to drive meaningful change by Ballmer, Google.org, Joyce Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, NextEra, Players Coalition, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, TED, and Valhalla. Funding for development of the National Justice Database infrastructure and the original analytic plan upon which these analyses are based was provided by the National Science Foundation, under awards led by Principal Investigators Phillip Atiba Goff, Jack Glaser, Amanda Geller, Steven Raphael, and Amelia Haviland.
Suggested citation: Center for Policing Equity (2024). Long Beach Police Department, CA. Justice Navigator, justicenavigator.org.