San Bernardino County — Following a recent Inland Valley News (IVN) report highlighting racial disparities in traffic stops under California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA), the La Verne Police Department and the Fontana Police Department have responded to the findings.
The original report cited data showing that Black individuals in the Inland Empire were stopped at disproportionately higher rates.
La Verne Police, in particular, reported the highest disparity in 2023, with Black individuals being 5.1 times more likely to be stopped than white residents per 10,000 residents. Fontana Police Department recorded a disparity rate of 1.6 times.
In an emailed statement to IVN, Capt. Travis Tibbetts of the La Verne Police Department addressed these concerns, asserting that the law enforcement agency operates within the confines of the appropriate laws and regulations.
“The La Verne Police Department takes issues of bias, stereotyping and racial profiling very seriously. We are committed to ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and equitably, regardless of race or ethnicity,” Tibbetts stated. “We actively work to maintain public trust by adhering to department policies, as well as state and federal laws that prohibit racial profiling and discrimination.”
The Fontana Police Department, which also faced scrutiny in the report, offered a response through Sgt. Nathan Weiske.
While acknowledging the challenges presented by the data, Weiske claimed that the data does not fully capture the context behind enforcement activities.
“We are aware that the RIPA data can sometimes present challenges in fully and accurately reflecting the complexities of law enforcement practices and community interactions,” Weiske said. “Several factors may contribute to discrepancies in the data, including limitations in reporting mechanisms, contextual differences in enforcement situations and regional or demographic variances.”
Weiske highlighted several initiatives Fontana Police has implemented to address potential bias.
These include ongoing officer training on implicit bias and cultural awareness, improving data collection methods and fostering engagement with community stakeholders.
“Disparities in stops or enforcement actions might be influenced by calls for service, reported crime patterns or other situational factors that the data does not fully contextualize,” he explained. “We remain committed to understanding and addressing any disparities in our practices and to ensuring that all members of our community are treated with dignity and respect.”
Weiske added that, as a part of the department’s efforts to address these issues, the agency will commit to “assessing our policies and practices to align with best practices in equitable law enforcement.”
Fontana Police Chief Michael Dorsey echoed those sentiments, stating, “We recognize that data alone does not tell the full story, but it serves as a guide.”
The RIPA data, mandated under California law since 2015, has sparked widespread debate about racial bias in policing across the state.
Stops, which include both traffic and pedestrian encounters, have been scrutinized for their disproportionate impact on Black individuals and other minority groups.
Despite the departments’ reassurances, community advocates are continuing to call for increased transparency, external oversight and policy reforms to address the disparities.
As discussions over racial profiling intensify, Inland Empire law enforcement agencies face ongoing pressure to take tangible steps toward equitable policing.
Inland Valley News contacted 13 other agencies listed on the RIPA report with similar racial disparities, including the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Upland Police Department and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, but have yet to receive a response.
