Riverside's Police Review Commission Delays Recommendations on Racial Disparities in Stops

For nearly a year, the  Community Police Review Commission has been digging into racial disparities in police stops — which jumped 71 percent in 2024 from the previous year — and what to do about it.

However, the commission unanimously voted at the April 22 meeting to postpone making its recommendations for the city’s Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee until May 27.

“I think there are some additional edits that we do need to make,” Commissioner Elieen Teichert said, saying the commission needs to define what actions it’s asking the committee to take.

The California Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) requires law enforcement agencies to collect and analyze data on traffic and pedestrian stops. The commission was tasked last year with reviewing the city’s latest report and suggesting ways to address any disparities.

Riverside police made more than 21,000 stops in 2024, up 71 percent from about 15,000 the year before, according to city data. Black residents, who make up about 6.6 percent of the city’s population, accounted for roughly 15 percent of those police stops – more than double their share of the population. Hispanic residents, the city’s largest demographic group, made up about 55 percent of stops, roughly proportionate to census data.

From the data, disparities appear across other categories as well. Black residents account for a higher share of warnings, citations and arrests relative to their population size, while men make up about three-quarters of all stops despite representing roughly half of Riverside’s population. Two complaints alleging racial profiling were filed during the reporting period, both dismissed after review.

The commission’s recommendations currently include refining datasets to focus on officer-initiated stops, setting thresholds for when disparities warrant action and taking a closer look at how the police department conducts internal audits.

However, commissioners said they want the final recommendations to clearly outline not just concerns, but specific actions and accountability, saying the current draft does not yet fully accomplish this.

Some have also raised the possibility of setting citywide goals to reduce disproportionate stops of black residents and issuing a formal finding on whether the data indicates racial profiling.

The delay follows similar concerns raised during its March meeting, when the commission first reviewed the proposals and agreed more time was needed.

No members of the public spoke on the item Wednesday.