NCJ Number
53593
Date Published
1978
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT POINTS OUT POSSIBLE SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON FATAL AND NONFATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS AND POLICE GUIDELINES ON USE OF DEADLY FORCE. THE SOURCES WERE UNCOVERED BY RESEARCHERS IN CHICAGO, ILL., FROM 1972-74.
Abstract
ALTHOUGH POLICE DEPARTMENTS WILL NOT READILY DIVULGE INFORMATION ON POLICE SHOOTINGS TO AGENCIES AND PERSONS NOT INVOLVED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, OTHER SOURCES OF DATA ARE AVAILABLE. A LITERATURE REVIEW WILL HELP IDENTIFY ISSUES AND PROVIDE A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE, AND POLICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS AT VARIOUS LEVELS MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED, OR EVEN EAGER, TO DISCUSS POLICE USE OF DEADLY FORCE GUIDELINES, TRAINING, DEPARTMENTAL WEAPONS AND AMMUNITION, AND PROCEDURES FOR INVESTIGATING POLICE SHOOTINGS. RESEARCHERS MIGHT ALSO OBTAIN PERMISSION TO OBSEVE POLICE TRAINING PROGRAMS ON THE USE OF DEADLY FORCE. NEWSCLIPS CAN PROVIDE SOURCE INFORMATION, ALTHOUGH INCIDENTS ARE OFTEN HAPHAZARDLY REPORTED AND WITHOUT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED. CORONERS' RECORDS SUPPLY INFORMATION ABOUT FATAL SHOOTINGS AND ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, AND CITIZEN GROUPS AND LIBERAL POLICE ASSOCIATIONS WILL SOMETIMES HAVE FILES DETAILING QUESTIONABLE SHOOTING INCIDENTS AND ANY COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CONCERNING THEM. THE CHICAGO POLICE BOARD, IN THIS INSTANCE, HAD FILES ON CERTAIN SHOOTINGS BY OFFICERS WHOM THE DEPARTMENT SOUGHT TO SUSPEND, AND THE STATE'S ATTORNEY'S RECORDS CONTAINED STATEMENTS BY ARRESTING OFFICERS IN DEADLY FORCE INCIDENTS, WITNESSES, AND SUSPECTS. RESEACHERS WHO EVIDENCE A SERIOUS AND NONREPROACHFUL ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEIR WORK AND WHO GATHER ACCURATE INFORMATION MIGHT EVENTUALLY ENGAGE THE HELP OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. (DAG)