Memorandum

Date:	February 2008
To:	Community Stakeholders
From:	Crystal Taylor, Chair
	Sacramento Community Racial Profiling Commission
Subject:	Data Collection Study Update

In March 2004, at the direction of the Mayor and City Council, the City of Sacramento initiated a comprehensive study to analyze traffic stops made by the Sacramento Police Department. The Mayor and City Council also appointed a Community Racial Profiling Commission to monitor the progress of the Study.

Following a renewed commitment to unbiased policing in March 2006, the Commission members meticulously chose the Study consultant, Dr. John Lamberth, an internationally recognized expert in the field of racial profiling, to coordinate the effort. Commission members have consistently received in-depth education on the logistical and technical aspects of the Study’s methodology. The objective of this Study is to determine if racial profiling is occurring in traffic stops by the Sacramento Police Department.

The purpose of this memorandum is to communicate to our valued stakeholders that the timeframe for collection of data for the Study, originally scheduled to be completed by January of this year, has been extended by four months. This decision was made when it became apparent, in October 2007, that the level of data being collected was inadequate to produce a thoroughly valid study. For the initial data collection period, the Police Department collected data for about 62% of all stops. A rate in excess of 90% is essential for a high quality study, according to Dr. Lamberth.

Police Chief Rick Braziel met with the Commission in January to explain the problems that led to the untimely extension of the study period. These reasons included administrative and technical issues, and a failure by Sacramento police officers to complete data collection forms for every stop.

Chief Braziel assured the group that by January 2008, the data collection had exceeded 90%. It is now anticipated that data collection will be completed in April, and the Study will be completed in June 2008. With that in mind, the Sacramento Racial Profiling Commission is now working with a well-qualified local communications consultant to develop a plan to ensure that interested community groups and individuals will all have quick access to the Study results and an opportunity to hear directly from the consultant and key City staff.

For more information about the Study, its timeline, and related community outreach, please contact: Assistant City Manager Gus Vina at 808-7138 or via e-mail at: gvina@cityofsacramento.org.

Thank you