On January 1, 2025, PORAC released “Proving Racial Profiling,” a brief white paper by racial profiling expert Dr. Brian L. Withrow that reveals foundational flaws in the methodology of racial profiling research employed by the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory (RIPA) Board. It highlights the Board’s historic inability to establish causality between any individuals’ race or ethnicity and peace officer actions, pointing to critical gaps in data collection, analysis and interpretation. The white paper makes clear the data gaps the RIPA Board must close if they intend their work to be legitimate as a research tool, and not simply confirmation bias of the majority layperson Board’s pre-existing opinions about law enforcement.
Peace Officers Research Association of California