Data on Police Use of Force How often does a law enforcement officer kill a citizen, shoot a citizen, shoot at but miss a citizen, draw his or her weapon and point it at someone, or assault a citizen....

Data on Police Use of Force

How often does a law enforcement officer kill a citizen, shoot a citizen, shoot at but miss a citizen, draw his or her weapon and point it at someone, or assault a citizen. The data do not exist to answer the reliability of these questions. The killing of a citizen is the most often reported but even these data are challenged. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report (UCR) reported 461 justifiable homicides by police in 2013, but some researchers say the number is closer to 1,000.8 The reason is that it is not mandatory to report the use of force to a national database such as the FBI’s UCR. Many departments do not require an officer to report when they draw their weapon or point it at someone, so these data are completely unknown. The New York City Police Department has initiated a program to track virtually all instances of use of force, including baton blows, physical altercations, mace spraying, and takedowns. However, other cities have not followed this trend and are unable to provide data on the frequency and degree of use of force other than deadly force. What would be the advantages of mandatory reporting of use of force to a national database?