Use of Force By Police: Overview of National and Local Data

• NCJ Number: 176330
• Author(s): Kenneth Adams, Ph.D., Indiana University - Indianapolis; Lawrence A. Greenfeld, Bureau of Justice Statistics; Patrick A. Langan, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics; Steven K. Smith, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics; Mark A. Henriquez, National Institute of Justice; Joel H. Garner, Ph.D., Joint Centers for Justice Studies; Christopher D. Maxwell, Ph.D., Michigan State University; Geoffrey P. Alpert, Ph.D., University of South Carolina; Roger G. Dunham, Ph.D., University of Miami
• Date Published: November 1999
• Publication Type: Publication

Annotation

This joint report by the National Institute of Justice and BJS presents findings on the extent and nature of police use of force, discusses the difficulties in establishing measurement guidelines, illuminates circumstances under which force is applied, and provides a general framework for future research on excessive displays of force.

Abstract

This joint report from the National Institute of Justice and BJS presents findings on the extent and nature of police use of force, discusses the difficulties in establishing measurement guidelines, illuminates circumstances under which force is applied, and provides a general framework for future research on excessive displays of force. It contains the following six chapters:

• What We Know About Police Use of Force by Kenneth Adams
• Revising and Fielding the Police-Public Contact Survey by Lawrence A. Greenfeld, Patrick A. Langan, and Steven K. Smith
• IACP National Database Project on Police Use of Force by Mark A. Henriquez
• Measuring the Amount of Force Used By and Against the Police in Six Jurisdictions by Joel H. Garner and Christopher D. Maxwell
• The Force Factor: Measuring and Assessing Police Use of Force and Suspect Resistance by Geoffrey P. Alpert and Roger G. Dunham
• A Research Agenda on Police Use of Force by Kenneth Adams