SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A study from the Center for Policing Equity broke down data on vehicle stops, pedestrian stops, and use of force, ultimately finding a racial disparities in the data.
In a news release, Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn said the disparities were similar to other cities that the center studied in a larger national database project.
"This is a longstanding issue that is not just in Sacramento but across our country," Hahn told ABC10. Hahn had commissioned the report after the police shooting of Stephon Clark back in 2018.
On Tuesday, the department released the report along with additional context behind the information.
What CPE found
The Center for Policing Equity said that, while use of force decreased more than 27.7% between 2014 and 2019, Black people were subjected to force more than 4 times as often as White people.
According to the report, Black people were subjected to force 4.5 times as often as White people per year on average, taking into account the population size of the group. While the report notes that Black people account for 13.1% of the population, they made up 42.7% of all people subjected to force in the report period.
Meanwhile, Latinx people were subjected to force at approximately the same rate as White people per year, on average, after accounting for the population size of the group.
The organization's dive into traffic stops found similar disparities. When it comes to traffic stops, the report reveals Black people, who make up 13.1% of the city population, made up 38% of all traffic stops.
Latinx people, who make up 28.3% of the Sacramento population, made up 23% and White people, who make up 33.1% of the population, made up 29%.
Chief Hahn's response to findings: "Unacceptable"
"I just know there are people suffering because there are these disparities in our community even larger than law enforcement," Hahn said. "In a city that I was born and raised in, I don't like to see people suffering just solely because of where they were born or who they were born to or what neighborhoods they live in."
Chief Hahn called the findings in the report “unacceptable” and pointed toward recruiting a more diverse police force as a goal going forward. He also said that, following the report, the question becomes about what's causing the disparity and what to do about it.
"I can assure everybody that we are trying," Hahn said. "I do believe that diversifying our department more than it is right now is one of the things that needs to be done."
Current diversity of the department
By the numbers, here how the department's diversity breaks down.
- 84.1% men
- 15.9% women
- 69.6% White
- 12.5% Latinx
- 9.3% Asian
- 5.1% Black
In addition to music videos and social media posts highlighting current officers, the department has also relaxed their tattoo policy and changed their education requirements as well.
"Recently, we were able to change the policy to where if you have four years of active duty military service that will substitute any education requirements," said Sgt. Eddie Macaulay.
He said this is a way to catch people who didn't necessarily think that being a cop was something "in the cards for them."
"We want people to really consider being the difference in their community," Macaulay said.
Hahn believes that the report reveals even more needs to be done. To read the full report, click HERE.
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