Will Modesto police issue a study on bias toward Black residents? Chief is hesitant

In the Spotlight is a Modesto Bee series that digs into the high-profile local issues that readers care most about. Story idea? Email tips@modbee.com .

The Community Police Review Board convened last week to discuss with Modesto Police Chief Brandon Gillespie his department’s use-of-force history, weighing the potential benefits of looking further into its practices.

The meeting underscored the complexities of addressing potential bias in policing and raised questions about the need for further investigation.

The discussion was prompted by an article in The Bee , which revealed that while Black residents make up just 4% of Modesto’s population, they accounted for nearly 17% of the use-of-force incidents involving MPD in the past decade.

Gillespie recognized the concerning statistics highlighted in the article but questioned whether an academic study assessing police bias would result in a change of people’s perceptions. He also cautioned against interpreting the data as evidence of police bias without thorough analysis.

“What my concern is, I can get data all day long, but there’s always going to be multiple questions after that. If I convened a study that said that there was no police bias by academics somewhere, is that going to move the needle?” Gillespie said.

He mentioned that 23 of the 29 use-of-force incidents cited last year involving Black residents were dispatched calls for service, with only six being self-initiated by officers. About 11 of these incidents involved individuals who were not residents of Modesto, Gillespie said.

“That’s a big discrepancy. So that, to me, is a perfect example of why data should be data,” he said. “Data should absolutely raise our curiosity, and raise our concerns … but you have to continue to dig into the data to really get to the root.”

Board member Nancy Smith recognized the chief’s point about the complexities of assessing the data but was surprised by the findings and emphasized that they should not be overlooked.

“Even if they’re not conclusive, it did seem like the statistics were surprising or maybe not surprising to some people. But I don’t think they can necessarily just be dismissed, right?” Smith said.

Wendy Byrd, another board member and president of the local NAACP, urged a deeper examination of the 10-year pattern highlighted in the article. Byrd also had written a letter on behalf of the NAACP, requesting a probe into the department’s use of force.

“It’s not about shame and blame, it’s about fix,” Byrd said. She acknowledged that the issue extends beyond Modesto and is part of a national trend.

However, the discussion about commissioning a study on police bias was met with caution.

Gillespie expressed concern about the cost, which he said could run into several hundred thousand dollars. He also questioned whether such a study would yield actionable results.

“Do we want to undertake this type of study that we’re talking about, which obviously would be a significant cost to the city of Modesto, in hopes of achieving whatever the outcome is?” he asked.

Still, he remained open to considering “scientifically backed-up data.”

Board member Austin Grant said he was confused over the hesitancy to conduct a study, noting that it seemed there already was an assumption about what the study would uncover. “Let’s say if we did do the 10-year study ourselves, and it shows that the Modesto Police Department has progressed in some of these things, wouldn’t that be a positive?” he asked.

The meeting also highlighted concerns about the transparency of the data. Byrd questioned why the board was learning about the use-of-force data from The Bee article rather than through official reports from the department. She also suggested that the board could model its own report after similar studies conducted elsewhere.

Toward the end of the meeting, Gillespie said he would contact other departments that have conducted studies on police bias, such as those in San Jose and Dallas, to gather insights on their effectiveness.

Board member Trish Christensen said efforts to improve community relations and address existing issues should not be paused while waiting for the results of any future study.

Although she didn’t indicate whether she supports or opposes the possible study, she said she doesn’t want to pause and do nothing while waiting for it to be completed. “We have an opportunity to make a difference while some of those types of data collections take place.”

The next Community Police Review Board meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18 at 5:30 p.m. at 1010 10th St. in the basement-level chambers.