Summary
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 40 million persons had contact with police during the most recent year for which data was gathered (2008). An estimated 776,000 (1.9 percent) of the 40 million contacted respondents reported the use or threatened use of force at least once during these contacts.
These facts stand in stark contrast to the public perception of the frequency and appropriateness of force used by the police. In large part, the public perception of police use of force is framed and influenced by the media depictions, which present unrealistic and often outlandish representations of law enforcement and the policing profession. Nightly, police dramas and news programs show officer-involved shootings, high speed chases, and trips to the morgue to recover microscopic evidence. These myths are further reinforced in popular books and film.
Yet data produced regularly by government agencies and researchers who analyze the actions of law enforcement argue against this “made for television” or “ripped from the headlines” narrative that has skewed the public ideas of law enforcement. These reports describe a reality of law enforcement with regards to use of force that starkly contradicts the public perception. As a result of these misconceptions, the public has raised questions regarding police use of force practices. In turn, law enforcement has raised concerns about the public’s support of the public safety mission.
In response to this complex environment impacting the critical relationship between police and the communities they serve, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in partnership with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) held a symposium that focused on police use of force. The primary goal of the meeting was to achieve consensus surrounding core use of force issues, identifying those topics of particular urgency, and proposing effective strategies that respond to the most critical areas of concern.
In preparation for the symposium law enforcement professionals, use of force experts, and use of force researchers were identified and told to expect they would examine a wide range of topics, to include:
◾◾Current use of force issues and concerns of law enforcement leaders
◾◾Use of force policy and training advancement over the past 5 years
◾◾Recent use of force incidents or issues that have affected law enforcement approach
◾◾Use of force litigation and risk management from a local agency perspective
◾◾New and emerging research on use of force at the university and law enforcement level
◾◾Concerns about use of force that merit further exploration and investigation.