Evaluating the Use of Force: Policies and Practices in Law Enforcement

Recent deaths of individuals during law enforcement encounters have heightened interest in the federal government's efforts to better understand and reduce the use of excessive force and bias in law enforcement. Law enforcement officers may use force to mitigate an incident, make an arrest, or protect themselves or others from harm. However, if an officer uses more force than is reasonable under the circumstances, that use of force is excessive and may violate an individual's civil rights. This book addresses the collection and publication of data on the use of force by law enforcement officers, explores known practices to reduce excessive force, provides resources for such practices, and examines investigations into allegations of excessive force by law enforcement.