California board urges bias reviews of police social media
A smartphone screen is seen with the Social Media apps tumblr, Whatsapp, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram on May 11, 2020 in Bochum, Germany.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A state advisory board says California police agencies should routinely review officers' social media, cellphones and computers for racist, bigoted or other offensive content that contributes to sharply disproportionate stops of Black people.
But the head of the police chiefs' association says that may be unworkable. It's perhaps the most controversial recommendation from community and law enforcement representatives who analyzed nearly 4 million vehicle and pedestrian stops conducted by California's 15 largest law enforcement agencies in 2019.
The Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board report comes amid reform calls but its data predates nationwide protests last year following the death of George Floyd.