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. When viewing specific findings in each tab, readers can click the blue captions to filter results and scroll through supporting analyses to learn how we arrived at a finding.
Sacramento, CA 2021
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
This assessment analyzes policing data, along with demographic and crime data, to identify which policing practices have patterns of racial disparities, and what factors may be contributing to those disparities.
The Sacramento Police Department joined CPE’s National Justice Database project in January 2020. The department shared data with CPE in order to receive analyses intended to support community and law enforcement collaboration on data-informed efforts to enhance equity in public safety. This assessment analyzes use of force, traffic stop, and non-traffic stop data from 2014-2019.
DEPARTMENTAL CONTEXT
The population of Sacramento, California is 34% White, 30% Latinx, 20% Asian, 14% Black, 1.8% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 0.4% Native. The total population of Sacramento, California is 469,208.
RESIDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
USE OF FORCE
The number of use of force incidents recorded each year with complete data varied from a high of 146 in 2014 to a low of 106 in 2019.
USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS PER YEAR
43% of all use of force incidents recorded between 2014 and 2019 were against Black people, who made up 14% of the population of Sacramento.
PERCENTAGE OF USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS, BY RACIAL GROUP, COMPARED TO POPULATION
Using a statistical technique called regression analysis, we found that taking into account the influence of neighborhood crime rates, poverty, and share of Black residents, Black people were subjected to force 4.4 times as often as White people.
RATES OF USE OF FORCE INCIDENTS AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME RATES, POVERTY LEVELS, AND SHARE OF BLACK RESIDENTS
Statistical analysis showed that neighborhood crime rates, poverty, and share of Black residents explained 50% of the frequency of use of force, while 50% was not explained by these factors.
PERCENTAGE OF INCIDENT FREQUENCY EXPLAINED BY NEIGHBORHOOD FACTORS
TRAFFIC STOPS
The total number of traffic stops recorded each quarter varied from a low of 8,904 in 2019-Q1 to a high of 10,247 in 2019-Q3.
TRAFFIC STOPS PER QUARTER
Black people who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White people.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Latinx people who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White people.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Asian people who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White people.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Middle Eastern or South Asian people who were searched were roughly equally likely as White people to possess contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Once stopped, Black people were searched 2.7 times as often as White people.
SEARCH RATES AT TRAFFIC STOPS
Once stopped, Latinx people were searched 1.8 times as often as White people.
SEARCH RATES AT TRAFFIC STOPS
Once stopped, Black people were arrested 1.4 times as often as White people. They were also 1.3 times as likely to be released with a warning or no action taken.
PROPORTION OF TRAFFIC STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ENDED IN EACH OUTCOME
Once stopped, Latinx people were arrested 1.2 times as often as White people. They were released with a warning or no action taken at similar rates to White people who were stopped.
PROPORTION OF TRAFFIC STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ENDED IN EACH OUTCOME
NON-TRAFFIC STOPS
The total number of non-traffic stops recorded each quarter ranged from a high of 241 in 2019-Q2 to a low of 141 in 2019-Q4.
NON-TRAFFIC STOPS PER QUARTER
Black people, who make up 14% of the population of Sacramento, made up 47% of all people stopped between 2019-Q1 and 2019-Q4.
PERCENTAGE OF NON-TRAFFIC STOPS, BY RACIAL GROUP, COMPARED TO POPULATION
Using a statistical technique called regression analysis, we found that taking into account the influence of neighborhood crime rates, poverty, and share of Black residents, Black people were stopped 6.2 times as often as White people.
RATES OF NON-TRAFFIC STOPS AFTER ACCOUNTING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME RATES, POVERTY LEVELS, AND SHARE OF BLACK RESIDENTS
Statistical analysis showed that neighborhood crime rates, poverty, and share of Black residents explained 46% of the frequency of non-traffic stops, while 54% was not explained by these factors.
PERCENTAGE OF STOP FREQUENCY EXPLAINED BY NEIGHBORHOOD FACTORS
Suspicious Person / Behavior and Parole / Probation were the most common reasons recorded for non-traffic stops among all racial groups.
PROPORTION OF NON-TRAFFIC STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ARE MADE FOR EACH STOP REASON
Once stopped, Black people were arrested 1.3 times as often as White people. They were released with a warning or no action taken at similar rates to White people who were stopped.
PROPORTION OF NON-TRAFFIC STOPS OF EACH RACIAL GROUP THAT ENDED IN EACH OUTCOME
Black people who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White people.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN NON-TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Latinx people who were searched possessed contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods less frequently than White people.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN NON-TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Asian people who were searched were roughly equally likely as White people to possess contraband such as weapons, drugs, or stolen goods.
CONTRABAND FOUND AND NOT FOUND IN NON-TRAFFIC STOP SEARCHES
Once stopped, Black people were searched 1.6 times as often as White people.
RATIOS OF SEARCH RATES AT NON-TRAFFIC STOPS
Once stopped, Latinx people were searched 1.2 times as often as White people.
RATIOS OF SEARCH RATES AT NON-TRAFFIC STOPS
NEXT STEPS
Measure and monitor
Collecting and analyzing data can help you shed light on current problems and measure future progress.
Investigate to learn more
Learn as much as possible about the situations when a disparity occurs or is most severe, in order to understand how to address it.
Identify risk factors and develop targeted interventions
You can then address risk factors by improving written policies and partnering with the community to develop targeted interventions.
Share results
Visit the Justice Navigator homepage to learn more about how to share results and take action.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding for this platform was provided by Google.org, Players Coalition, Joyce Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies. 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 (2021). Assessment of Sacramento Police Department. Justice Navigator, justicenavigator.org.
