In early 2023, PORAC released a critical analysis of the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory (RIPA) Board’s 2022 Annual Report and found that their data analysis methodology was significantly flawed, painting an inaccurate picture of the state of racial profiling in California. Following up on our analysis, we were disappointed to see that the RIPA Board once again chose to ignore our recommendations in their 2023 Report.
That is why we once again commissioned Dr. Brian Withrow, a leading national expert on profiling, to compare the 2022 and 2023 RIPA Annual Reports so that we can better understand any changes in their scope and findings. The comparison revealed dramatic shifts in the Board’s areas of policy focus and shows how the RIPA Board has continued to employ a flawed statistical approach.
In an effort to remedy these issues and our prior concerns with the RIPA Board’s Annual Reports, PORAC has made a series of policy recommendations that we believe would increase the trustworthiness of the Board and improve the reliability of their research. PORAC welcomes collaboration with the RIPA Board, and we hope they take our recommendations seriously so that we can accurately assess the state of racial profiling and find solutions that will make a real impact without jeopardizing public safety.