NCJ Number
222250
Journal
Policing Volume: 31 Issue: 1 Dated: 2008 Pages: 57-76
Date Published
2008
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined the use of force by officers in a small police agency (50 officers) with respect to variation in force and suspect resistance behavior as well as various situational factors that might predict the severity of force used.
Abstract
The study found that officers resorted to using physical force (beyond handcuffing) in 18 percent of the arrest encounters examined. This is a higher rate for use of force than has been found with many larger agencies. The majority of the force tactics used were at the lower end of the force continuum (e.g., soft hand control). This contrasted with a high portion of suspects resistance behaviors toward the upper end of the resistance spectrum (e.g., defensive/active). Apparently, officers were able to resolve such resistance with lower levels of force applications. Given the limitations of this study, notably its focus on only one small agency, suggests the need for additional and more detailed research. The study obtained data from police reports of the use of force in the course of arrests (n=3,264) over a 3-year period (2002-2004) from a small police agency in the upper-Midwest. Descriptive and multivariate analyses of these data were used in assessing how and why officers used force during an arrest. 10 tables, 11 notes, and 46 references