NCJ Number
83366
Date Published
1978
Length
70 pages
Annotation
Panelists discuss and answer questions on issues related to policy development for police use of deadly force, with attention to factors affecting policy development in different States and localities.
Abstract
The panelists agreed that a clear policy must be developed for police use of deadly force. The policy must then be implemented through procedures and regulations, training, and supervisory monitoring and reinforcement. Training should focus on when an officer is to shoot his/her weapon. Policy should also include a statement of procedures to follow when an officer is involved in a shooting. Panelists noted the importance of involving citizens and government officials in the development of a departmental policy for the use of deadly force, so that the policy is reflective of local views of when police should use their weapons. Some of the panelists argued for the setting of statewide policy through legislation, while others considered such an approach to be too slow and likely to be behind the times in reflecting current opinion on the issue. Considerable discussion was given to providing counseling for officers involved in shootings, as well as for officers with personal problems, such as alcohol abuse, likely to affect judgment and self-restraint. The panelists generally advised that departmental policy on the use of deadly force be publicized, so that citizens and the mass media might be aware of those situations likely to require the use of deadly force. One panelist who argued for strict controls on police use of deadly force noted that police deaths and injuries from shootings tend to increase in communities where it is known the police are quick to use their weapons.