Public Policy Institute of California

🆕 What's making it hard to hire and keep officers in CA? Competition between agencies, housing costs, & unqualified applicants top the list. Nearly 1 in 3 agencies PPIC surveyed say staffing limits have already changed how they respond to calls. More 👉 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

🆕 #California officer base salaries have dipped since 2011 (adjusting for inflation), while overtime pay has more than doubled—now averaging $25,000+. Rural and non-rural agencies are also seeing a growing pay gap. Learn more 👉 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

#FactFriday: #TK has grown dramatically since expansion began in 2022. In 2023–24, it served over 150,000 children statewide out of an estimated 215,000 eligible—more students than ever before. Explore more about transitional kindergarten in California: bit.ly/3IrOv3y

“If you don’t build it in this generation, you’ll build it in the next...Build a tunnel, or start a very painful process of really cutting back on water supplies from the Delta.” @PPICWater's Jeff Mount featured in this piece from @RA_Becks @CalMatters. bit.ly/4usA1Db

More California community college students are earning associate degrees and transferring to four-year colleges—but gains aren't equal. Asian students saw transfer rates rise 6.5 points vs. 3.4 for Latino and 2.7 for Black students. Read more: bit.ly/4rSfmGV

🆕 Officer resignations, retirements, and terminations in CA jumped more than 30% between 2020-2022—driven by the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and social upheaval. Keeping officers on the job has become a serious challenge for agencies statewide 👉 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

🆕 Officer staffing rates vary wildly across California—from ~100 officers per 100K residents in some rural counties to 390+ in others. Even large counties differ: Orange County has 149 vs. San Francisco's 315. Learn more: bit.ly/4wi5GJh

🆕 Not all CA agencies are feeling staffing pressures equally. Post-pandemic declines hit large agencies hardest, while rural agencies have seen more volatile swings. #Sheriff's departments have grown while #police #departments have slightly shrunk 👉 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

7 years after @CalCommColleges began reforming placement and remediation, nearly all students are now enrolling directly in transfer-level math—a major milestone for college completion. Watch our recent briefing to learn more 👉 bit.ly/48uzuIm

🆕 CA's #law #enforcement workforce is changing. #Female and #Latino #officer representation has grown over the last two decades, while #white and #Black officer shares have declined. Research shows these shifts matter—here's why 👉 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

🆕 CA's officer count dropped since the pandemic—and hasn't fully recovered. At 196 officers per 100,000 residents, staffing is at its lowest rate since 2008. Our new report breaks down what's behind the decline 👇 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

🆕 #California has 77,000+ #law #enforcement officers and spends $28 billion on #policing—but agencies are facing real challenges around recruitment and retention. Our new report dives into the trends shaping officer staffing across the state 👇 bit.ly/4wi5GJh

Think college in #California is more expensive than ever? Think again. For most students—especially at @UofCalifornia and @calstate—college is actually less expensive than it was 15 years ago, once you factor in financial aid. Here's what the data shows👇 bit.ly/4umUskT

The biggest completion gains in @CalCommColleges math are coming from statistics and liberal arts math (SLAM). In 2024, SLAM completion hit 62%—up 5.4 points. BSTEM courses haven't seen the same momentum. 💡 Learn more in our report: bit.ly/4rSfmGV

California’s slow ballot count has drawn intense attention and spurred a search for ways to speed things up. Learn more in this commentary from PPIC's Eric McGhee and UCS's Mindy Romero 👇 bit.ly/4t7MP0D

So you want to be CA's next #governor? Did you know the ratio of working-age people to older and younger residents is lower than in the 70's—with big implications for the state's economy. Whoever gets the job needs to be ready. We break it down 👉 bit.ly/4vm0hjD

How has remote work changed California's #labor #market? The #pandemic normalized #hybrid #work for some #California workers, but continues to pose challenges for #business districts. Get the full picture in our explainer: bit.ly/48uHwRl

Latino and Black students saw bigger completion gains in transfer-level math than Asian and white peers—but their rates still lag behind. Older students and women also saw stronger growth. Progress is real, but equity gaps persist. Learn more👇 bit.ly/4rSfmGV

California boasts a highly productive economy and a large #workforce. But many Californians feel pessimistic about the #economy and their place in it. In our updated explainer, we take a look at #labor #market trends and challenges in #California 👇 bit.ly/48uHwRl

So you want to be CA's next governor? Quick heads up: Californians are not in a great mood. 😬 Pessimistic about the direction of the state, skeptical of government, and want change. We broke it all down so you don't have to find out the hard way 👇 bit.ly/4twRlqy