Figure 1: Distribution of basis for search, by racial /ethnic group of individuals stopped by California law enforcement, 2023
This grouped bar chart shows distributions of the four most common bases of search: in the course of arrest, officer safety, consent given, and parole/probation, by racial/ethnic group of individuals stopped by California law enforcement. In the course of arrest was the most common basis of search across racial/ethnic groups, ranging from approximately 44% to 60%. Officer safety and consent given had similar racial/ethnic distributions, ranging from approximately 16% to 33%. Parole/probation was the least common basis of search for all racial/ethnic groups except for Native American (for which consent given was the least common), with percentages ranging from approximately 10% to 20%. Note that percentages may not add up to 100 because officers can indicate multiple bases for search in a single
stop.