An analysis of 2023-2024 traffic stop data collected under California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) found that Sacramento police disproportionately stopped Black drivers. Black people made up one-third of all traffic stops but are only 12% of the city’s population. Most of these stops were for minor vehicle equipment or non-moving violations that pose little risk to traffic safety, such as a missing license plate or expired registration tags. Sacramento police also were more likely to search Black and Latino motorists, the data shows.

Police often use non-safety related traffic violations as a “pretext” to look for evidence of criminal activity when they don’t have reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed or probable cause for a search. Since officers have wide discretion to enforce low-level violations, racial bias can play a part in their decisions. In fact, RIPA data shows that law enforcement agencies across California consistently stop and search Black and Latino drivers at higher rates than other racial groups.

Pretext stops are a pernicious form of racial profiling. They endanger the public and waste limited resources. The ACLU of Northern California urges Sacramento leaders to adopt a policy prohibiting police officers from stopping drivers for non-safety related violations.