Examining the Role of Use of Force Policies in Ending Police Violence

Abstract

We consulted legal experts, academics, and activists to identify a range of policies designed to impose common sense restrictions on how and when police use force against civilians. Then we reviewed the use of force guidelines of the nation’s largest police departments to determine where these policies were currently in place and whether they were associated with fewer police-involved killings. We found all of the policies to predict lower rates of police-involved killings, with substantially fewer police-involved killings among departments that have more of these policies in place. These results suggest specific changes to police department use of force policies can significantly reduce police violence in America.

Keywords: policing, police, black lives matter, officer-involved shootings, police killings, police violence, deadly force