by David Leonhardi
In the original publication of this op-ed in the San Diego Union-Tribune, I listed some socioeconomic factors that lead to more contacts between deputies and Black citizens. I made that statement without using a citation, but want to clarify that I wasn’t just providing my personal opinion. I’ve received feedback from some members who felt my comments were inflammatory and that I was stereotyping the Black community. I hope this updated version with citations helps to clarify those statements as evidence-based arguments to refute the Union-Tribune’s accusation that deputies are systemically biased against the Black community.
To our members who felt I was stereotyping or providing a personal opinion about a community of which I am not a part, I sincerely apologize. I firmly believe the role of the DSA is to support our deputies, both publicly and privately. When the local newspaper used RIPA data to make sweeping accusations of systemic racial bias by our deputies, I felt the need to speak up and offer alternative explanations to discrepancies between RIPA and census data. I am honored to represent the deputy sheriffs of San Diego County, and as long as I am DSA President, I will defend our deputies against accusations I know to be false.
The San Diego Union-Tribune’s “Color of Authority” series analyzed data from nearly 500,000 stops by the San Diego Police Department and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department of drivers and pedestrians and identified racial disparities, an important issue that deserves discussion and attention. But the report went on to conclude that these disparities resulted from racial bias in local law enforcement agencies, a finding that is not supported by the data and which disparages the character and integrity of the fine men and women who serve our community as San Diego County deputy sheriffs.
More specifically, the report found that deputy sheriffs stop White, Native American, and Black people more than their percentage of the county population, while stopping members of the Latino, biracial, and Asian communities less than their percentage of the county population. The report found that the group stopped most disproportionately by deputy sheriffs are Black residents, as they are stopped or detained 7.9 percent of the time but make up 4.7 percent of the population census data.
The report attributes these disparities to institutional bias, an easy conclusion when we are all troubled by incidents of racism in other parts of the country, and viewing in horror the actions of some individuals who have disgraced the badge with their conduct, such as Derek Chauvin.
Having served the department for 15 years, and now in my role as president of the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, I disagree with this conclusion, not just because Sheriff’s Department has embraced the principles of equality in its recruitment, training, promotions and policies for many years, but also because the data simply doesn’t support that conclusion.
One of the major flaws in the data cited by the U-T is the comparison of Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) data, which logs law enforcement’s reported perception of a subject’s race, versus census data, which is self-reported race and ethnicity information provided by respondents. If a deputy perceives an individual he or she is stopping as Black, that interaction will be categorized as a contact between the Sheriff’s Department and a Black citizen; however, if that same individual considers himself or herself to be multiracial or Latino, for example, then it can appear as if Black people are stopped at a higher percentage than they comprise in the community, when in fact that may not be the case.
Another shortcoming in the data is the failure to adjust census data to accurately match the actual proportion of various groups by race, thereby underestimating the proportion of Black residents in our community and exaggerating the gap between population and stop data for Black people and the perception that the department is unfairly targeting one group.
Let me explain. Census data does not account for some of our region’s largest demographic groups, such as military personnel or tourists. The U.S. Navy, for instance, is the largest employer in San Diego County, employing over 34,000 people. This instance alone offers a glimpse into the underrepresentation in the population statistics derived from census data.
Additionally, there are other socioeconomic factors that better explain the variance between Black residents as a proportion of total residents, and Black people as a proportion of individuals stopped by the Sheriff’s Department. Multiple sources cite homelessness, poverty, mental illness, and the inability to maintain a vehicle as socioeconomic factors which disproportionately affect the Black community. This inequity may lead to more services from the Sheriff’s Department and higher rates of contact with Black citizens.*
This year, nearly 60 percent of our academy class is composed of members of communities of color. Every deputy sheriff is trained on implicit bias, diversity and inclusion, de-escalation, and handling people in mental crises.
There is no place in the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for any individual who would allow racial bias to interfere with the fair and just execution of their duties.
Rather than disparage the Sheriff’s Department and the 2,500 professional sworn law enforcement officers who serve this department and members of the public with honor, courage and respect every day, San Diegans should understand the shortcomings of the study provide a more obvious explanation of the variations highlighted in the report.
Honesty, integrity, trust, loyalty, fairness, respect, and diversity are the core values expected of every deputy sheriff in San Diego County. Deputy sheriffs are a reflection of our society and certainly are not perfect, but we are held to a high standard.
The RIPA data is important. Our community needs to talk about it, reflect on this important issue, look for causes, and find solutions. But I’m not sure that’s what the U-T has done with this data.
It’s easy to pile on against the honorable men and women of my profession these days, and to quickly conclude that if one group is subject to more law enforcement contact, the root cause of those contacts is institutional racism within the Sheriff’s Department.
But a careful analysis of the data would conclude that there are a number of factors that contribute to the appearance of a disproportionate rate of contact between our department and the Black community, and none of those rely on concluding that the fine men and women of our department carry out their duties with bias against any group.
* This paragraph has been edited since its original publication to add source information and further highlight the importance of conversation around the systemic injustices Black Americans experience.
Sources:
“Homelessness and Racial Disparities,” National Alliance to End Homelessness website, October 2020, https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/what-causes-homelessness/inequality/
“Neighborhood Poverty,” National Equity Atlas website, https://nationalequityatlas.org/indicators/Neighborhood_poverty#/
“Black and African American Communities and Mental Health,” Mental Health America website, https://www.mhanational.org/issues/black-and-african-american-communities-and-mental-health
“Car Access,” National Equity Atlas website, https://nationalequityatlas.org/indicators/Car_access#/