NCJ Number
73460
Date Published
1980
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Of the many impediments to harmonious relations between police and minority communities, the most inflammatory is the use of deadly or excessive force by the police.
Abstract
During recent years, charges of police use of excessive force have become an ever-increasing share of the Justice Department's Community Relations Services' caseload. Of the 1,431 incidents logged during the 1980 fiscal year, 40 percent were general administrative problems and 44 percent were allegations that police used excessive force. This represents a 93 percent increase over 1979. Of the complaints, 63 percent came from blacks, 32 percent from Hispanics, and 4 percent from American Indians. The complaints were evenly distributed nationally. The intensity of the problem has resulted in an undeclared war between police and minorities in many communities. The Community Relations Service has therefore developed a program of preventive measures to reduce the incidence of unnecessary use of deadly force by the police. The three-phase program began with gathering and sharing information with police groups, minority organizations, State legislators, and local government officials. Next, face-to-face discussions were initiated between police excutives and minority leaders at the local, State, and national level. A national followup program was instituted in cooperation with police officials and community organizations across the country. Among the specific objectives of the program are improving police/community communications, providing technical assistance to police to improve controls over excessive use of force, developing and improving mechanisms for receiving and acting on complaints, and assisting the establishment (or strengthening) of local conflict resolution mechanisms. Also needed are State law reforms, revised firearms' policies, adequate police training, and aggressive prosecution of police abuses. No references are supplied.