By Matthew A. Graham, Senior Data Analyst
The Center for Policing Equity (CPE) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) released new Justice Navigator Assessments (JNAs) for eight of LASD’s substations: Carson, Century, Compton, East LA, Industry, Lakewood, South LA, and Temple. These JNAs combine rigorous data analysis with community-driven insights to illuminate where disparities exist in policing and chart pathways for improvement. Together with LASD and local stakeholders, CPE worked to translate these findings into tangible steps toward equity, safety, and trust.
CPE and LASD first partnered in 2017 to conduct a comprehensive analysis of LASD’s policing data. This led to the publication of JNAs for an initial three LASD substations: Lancaster, Palmdale, and West Hollywood, all of which are available at justicenavigator.com. Now, eight new publications provide analyses of use-of-force, vehicle stop, pedestrian stop, and calls-for-service data, as well as officer-initiated activity.
Though each of LASD’s stations serve distinct communities, there were some common findings across many of their assessments. In all eight station patrol areas, deputies used force against Black people at disproportionately high rates relative to their share of the population. At six of the eight stations, Black and Latinx drivers were searched at higher rates than White people once stopped. And at all eight stations, the interaction type that most often resulted in use of force was officer-initiated non-moving vehicle violation stops.
Though the above indicate areas where LASD could continue efforts to reduce racial disparities, there were also positive findings. For example, there were no racial disparities in pedestrian search rates in six of the eight stations, no racial disparities in pedestrian stop rates of Latinx people in five of the eight stations, and, at all eight stations, when deputies used force, they typically used the lowest levels of force (i.e., holds and takedowns).
Findings Point to More Opportunities for Alternative Response
In recent years, Alternative Response Programs (ARPs) have grown in popularity as communities seek to reduce unnecessary police interactions. LASD and Los Angeles County (LA County) have already invested in various ARPs, such as the Mental Evaluation Team and Alternative Crisis Response teams. Our JNAs also recommend that LASD shift non-emergency calls from police to other departments, such as public works.
At seven of the eight stations, the most frequent call type was public assistance, which includes removing roadway obstructions, downed power lines, and other hazards; helping people locked out of their homes or vehicles; receiving or returning lost or found property; aiding motorists; and handling animal complaints. As the most readily available responders, many of these calls are fielded by police, but with law enforcement agencies across the country struggling to hire and retain personnel, mental health or public works calls can strain police resources and prolong response times to high-risk calls for service, such as robberies and assaults.
For example, in the Temple service area, there were an average of 24,625 calls for public assistance per year, or roughly 67 calls per day. Even if only some calls occur during business hours—when non-sworn employees are available — the volume justifies shifting resources to non-police responders. CPE recommends that LASD consider how best it can utilize its sworn deputies and what other resources could alleviate their workload.
Fewer Pretext Stops Means Fewer Violent Encounters
Assessments of LASD’s policing data showed an emerging trend: non-moving stops, sometimes used as pretexts, can escalate and lead to negative outcomes. In seven of the eight stations evaluated, Black and Latinx people were stopped more frequently for non-moving violations than White people, who were stopped more often for moving violations. Moving violations, such as speeding and running red lights, directly threaten public safety. In contrast, non-moving violations — such as expired tags, tinted windows, or broken taillights — are often used as excuses (pretexts) for police stops. Over the last few years, a growing number of law enforcement agencies have begun deprioritizing pretext stops so that common pretext reasons cannot be the sole reason for pulling people over. Some studies have shown that deprioritizing these stops reduces traffic accidents without increasing overall crime rates. Some studies have shown that deprioritizing these stops reduces traffic accidents without increasing overall crime rates.
Non-moving violation stops also result in more frequent discretionary searches. Discretionary searches are not a required practice and may not be based on probable cause. For example, “consent” searches, where an officer asks the person for permission to search them or their vehicle, was the most common reason for conducting discretionary searches in five of the eight station areas — and the second most common reason in the other three. Unsurprisingly, consent searches have the lowest rate of finding contraband, as most people would not consent to a search if they were in possession of illegal goods. Despite the higher search rate at non-moving violation stops, discretionary searches uncover contraband at the same rate at moving violation stops, indicating that the higher search rate is not justified by what deputies are finding.
Deputies also used force much more frequently at non-moving violation stops and stops that involved a discretionary search.. This may explain why Black and Latinx individuals experience higher rates of police force. They are stopped more frequently for non-moving violations, which often lead to discretionary searches. Both non-moving violation stops and discretionary searches have a higher likelihood of escalating into situations where deputies use force.
There is no clear benefit to pretextual stops. Ending or reducing them does not appear to adversely affect crime rates or public safety. In some places, like in Fayetteville, NC, the deprioritization of non-moving violation stops coincided with a reduction in traffic crashes. LASD can reduce racial disparities and force incidents by limiting pretextual stops (non-moving violations) and restricting consent searches, aligning with best practices from other departments.
New JNAs Provide Roadmap for Accountability and Further Progress
The disparities identified in these reports are not new to LA County residents, but by documenting them with precision, CPE hopes to provide LASD a roadmap for accountability and action. These findings establish a baseline to track ongoing reforms at LASD stations — such as updated policies, enhanced supervision, and new data transparency tools. They also ensure community input, particularly from Black and Brown residents, in shaping local public safety.
We celebrate these reports not as endpoints, but as tools for transformation. In recent years, LASD’s stations have made significant advancements, including non-police response to mental health emergencies and reducing overall use of force. For details on these racial equity efforts, see the ‘Departmental Context’ tab in each of the eight new reports.
The path to fairer, safer, and more trusted public safety systems will be built collaboratively — through continued partnership between LASD, their local communities, and organizations like CPE. Together, we can ensure that public safety across LA County works better for everyone.
To explore the full findings and recommendations, visit the Justice Navigator platform.