It's About Time: New Bill Requires Police to Report All Shootings & Uses of Force

It's About Time: New Bill Requires Police to Report All Shootings & Uses of Force



Boxer cites a Washington Post article from Saturday as one of the catalysts bringing about this legislation, which states more than two people per day, at least 385, have been fatally shot by police so far in 2015 —  twice what the federal government tallies for an entire decade. Even the Post’s number is lowball, as independent sources listed at least 400 killed by police at the beginning of last month.

“The first step in fixing a problem is understanding the extent of the problem you have. Justice and accountability go hand in hand — but without reliable data it’s difficult to hold people accountable or create effective policies that change the status quo,” said Booker of the proposed law. “Our legislation is vital to ensuring we have the data required to make good decisions and implement reform measures that are balanced, objective, and protect the lives of police officers and the public.”

All states would be required to report officers’ use of force incidents to the Attorney General, with the following criteria considered the minimum information to be included:

— The gender, race, ethnicity, and age of each individual who was shot, injured, or killed

— The date, time, and location of the incident

— The number of officers and number of civilians involved in the incident

— Whether the civilian was armed with a weapon

— The type of force used against the officer, the civilian, or both, including the types of weapons used

Included with the legislation is the possibility for grants to train law enforcement on use of force, emphasizing de-escalation and “bias training.”