Los Angeles police traffic stops continue to show significant racial disparities, according to new data released this week in California's latest annual Racial and Identity Profiling Act report.
The ninth annual RIPA report analyzed more than 5.1 million police and pedestrian stops conducted in 2024 by nearly all law enforcement agencies in California. The data reveals that Black individuals were pulled over 128% more often relative to their population in 2024, a slight increase from 126% in 2023.
The report shows that overall, Black and Native American individuals had more actions taken by officers per average stop than other racial and ethnic groups. The highest arrest rates were for people perceived to be Native American and Black.
According to the report, 2024 stop data showed notable disparities for individuals perceived as unhoused. People perceived as unhoused were stopped for reasonable suspicion more than any other demographic group, and officers reported taking more actions during those stops, including use of force. Nearly half of all stops for people who were unhoused ended with arrest.
The data also tracked complaints about law enforcement stops. The number of civilian complaints that contained allegations of racial or identity profiling rose significantly in 2024 to 17.5%, compared to 9.7% of complaints in 2023. In 2024, 79% of those complaints alleged profiling on the basis of race or ethnicity.
According to a news release from the California Attorney General's Office, "the report finds that racial and identity profiling in California remains a concern that must be properly addressed."
The California Department of Justice's Office of Community Awareness, Response, and Engagement will host a community briefing on Wednesday, February 26, at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the RIPA board's report.