Modesto police tripled traffic stops, latest data shows. Who is being pulled over and why?
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The Modesto Police Department conducted 9,703 pedestrian and vehicle stops in 2023, nearly three times the number from 2022. The data reveals some racial disparities among Black and Hispanic individuals.
This data was submitted under the Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015, which requires California law enforcement agencies to provide detailed stop data to the Department of Justice. Officers are prohibited from asking individuals to self-identify for the purpose of RIPA stop data collection.
Last week, the California Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board released its annual report, analyzing 4.7 million police stops conducted in 2023. The report highlights persistent disparities in stops based on perceived race, age and disability and highlights the long-term impact of early law enforcement interactions on youth.
“The annual collection of RIPA stop data is one part of our broader effort to increase public safety for all Californians. Through the analysis of stop data and recommendations for thoughtful reforms, we’re continuing to strengthen trust between local law enforcement and the communities they serve,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta in a press release.
Here’s what the data revealed for the Modesto Police Department.
Time
The highest number of stops occurred in October, while June saw the fewest. Most stops were conducted at 10 p.m.
Race and ethnicity
The majority of individuals stopped by officers were perceived to be Hispanic, a proportion roughly aligned with their population size in Modesto. However, Black individuals were stopped at over three times their population rate.
Additionally, 2.4% of those stopped were perceived to have limited or no English fluency.
Gender and sexuality
RIPA regulations recognize six gender categories: male, female, transgender man, transgender woman, gender nonconforming and multigender. The majority of individuals stopped were perceived as cisgender male (70.5%) or cisgender female (29.2%). Those identified by Modesto Police as LGBT accounted for 1% of all stops.
The report highlights that LGBT identity is not always immediately visible, meaning an officer’s perception of this characteristic could be influenced by contextual factors. For example, an officer might assume a driver and passenger are same-sex partners based on social cues or their conversation. Additionally, an individual’s gender expression — such as their actions, attire, behavior and interactions — can affect how their gender is perceived.
Age and disability
The largest proportion of individuals stopped were perceived to be between the ages of 25 and 34, making up 33.3% of stops. Those perceived to be under the age of 15 represented the smallest proportion. Additionally, less than 1% of individuals stopped were identified as having a disability.
Reason for stop
Twenty-eight percent of stops were initiated in response to calls for service, such as 911 calls, radio calls or dispatch requests.
RIPA regulations mandate that officers report the primary reason for initiating each stop. If multiple factors apply, officers must identify the main reason for the stop. Data is collected on both pedestrian and vehicle stops. The most frequent reason for a stop was a traffic violation (52.6%), followed by reasonable suspicion of criminal activity (41.6%).
Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard in criminal law requiring an officer to identify specific facts indicating that a person is involved in, or likely to be involved in, criminal activity. It is more than a mere hunch but less than the probable cause required for an arrest, according to the report. The most common grounds for reasonable suspicion were officers witnessing a crime being committed, followed by the individual matching a suspect description.
Result of stop and action taken
The majority of stops resulted in a warning, either verbal or written. Approximately 21% of stops led to no official action.
“The higher percentages of stops with no action taken could indicate those stopped individuals were not engaged in criminal activity, and, perhaps, they are a sign of police intrusion that yielded nothing, demonstrating that the stops should not have occurred at all,” reads the RIPA report.
Hispanic individuals had the highest percentage of stops that resulted in no action taken by the officer, at 23%, relative to their total number of stops.
The second most common action taken during stops, after taking no action at all, was handcuffing or using flex cuffs on the individual. Force was used in 329 instances, with the most common form being physically removing a person from a vehicle, which accounted for 37.7% of those cases. There were 87 instances in which a firearm was pointed at an individual.
Hispanic individuals also represented the highest percentage of use-of-force incidents in relation to their total number of stops.
Searches and seizures
Searches are most commonly conducted as part of an arrest.
The majority of contraband or evidence discovered during searches is drugs and narcotics.
The primary reason for property searches is the presence of evidence.
Black individuals had the highest percentage of searches relative to their total number of stops.
The bulk of seized property consists of drugs and narcotics.
Has the police review board made a difference?
It’s difficult to determine whether the establishment of the Community Police Review Board in June 2023 impacted MPD’s number of traffic stops or use-of-force incidents. The CPRB is responsible for improving police accountability and transparency.
The majority of traffic stops — 67% — occurred in the second half of 2023, following the CPRB’s formation. This also marks an increase from the second half of 2022, when only 41% of stops took place during that same time period.
Similarly, most use-of-force incidents (71%) and searches (78%) took place during the second half of 2023.
As for racial disparities, the proportion of stops by race remained consistent between the first and second halves of the year.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM.
