AB 953 Passage

In 2015, True North leaders made the decision to join forces with our statewide network and other partners to support the passage of California Assembly Bill 953: The Racial and Identity Profiling Act.

We believe that California should lead the nation on fair policing. Unfortunately, California lead the country in the number of officer-involved killings when AB 953 was introduced. Turning a blind eye to discriminatory policing and state violence only leads to more unjust deaths and reaffirms distrust in law enforcement. The Racial and Identity Profiling Act is a solution-based approach that put us on the much-needed path to fair policing.

AB 953 not only combats racial profiling, but also aids in addressing the disproportionate rates at which people of color are being killed by police. We know biases in policing are problems, but we can’t really understand them, let alone fix them, without data on how these biases play out on our streets. Collecting data in and of itself will of course not fix issues with disparate policing. However, increased transparency and accountability will bring us one step closer to repairing police- community relationships and saving lives. We have a duty to address both the causes, and crippling effects of racially biased policing. 

When it was passed, AB 953:

• Updated California’s definition of racial profiling to include other demographic characteristics (gender, sexual orientation)
• Mandated the collection of and made public basic information about police stops, searches and seizures
• Established an advisory board to analyze data and develop recommendations