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.
What I found weird was how many large BLM protests were organized for what I think were legitimate cases of police violence. Michael Brown and Jacob Blake come to mind.
Like there are plenty, plenty of legitimate cases, but when the same crowd doesn’t seem to make any distinction between obviously trigger happy cops and pretty undisputable self defense, the end goal and the solution becomes very unclear.
As you say: vote for better politicians. Vote for as much footage being recorded (cameras on vehicles, bodycams) and fully released immediately. Advocate people of underrepresented ethnicities joining the police force. It’s not easy but it’s the real path towards a better situation.