Police in the US use force on at least 300,000 people each year, injuring an estimated 100,000 of them, according to a groundbreaking data analysis on law enforcement encounters.
Mapping Police Violence, a non-profit research group that tracks killings by US police, launched a new database on Wednesday cataloging non-fatal incidents of police use of force, including stun guns, chemical sprays, K9 dog attacks, neck restraints, beanbags and baton strikes.
The database features incidents from 2017 through 2022, compiled from public records requests in every state. The findings, the group says, suggest that despite widespread protests against police brutality following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, overall use of force has remained steady since then – and in many jurisdictions, has increased.
Fun fact! I knew you would back up from the desire for statistical rigor when it started to go both ways.
(The number of police who commit misconduct in any given year was about 1% - which is (a) enough number of police to yes still be a massive fuckin problem and deserving of significant reform oversight etc etc (b) Fun fact! Less than 100%)