Study by police chiefs: Cops rarely use force

Los Angeles Police must take an arrest-and-control training course every 18 months

May 2, 1998
Web posted at: 10:54 p.m. EDT (0254 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN)--A nationwide study of police departments shows that police rarely use force in their interaction with citizens, according to a report released Saturday by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

CNN's Jim Hill reports

The report, funded by the Justice Department, examined nearly 400 law enforcement agencies from 1994 through 1997, including their use of physical, chemical, impact, electronic and firearm devices. For every 10,000 responses to police calls for help, force was used an average of four times, according to the study.

The study also found:

• Officers were most likely to use force while making arrests, followed by traffic stops and responses to disturbances.

• There were 61 reported cases of people using chemical force against police officers.

• Seventy-eight percent of female suspects and 60 percent of male suspects suffered no reported injuries resulting from the use of force.

• In 63 percent of arrests, force was used by both suspects and officers during confrontations.

• Fifty-two percent of reported confrontations were interracial.

The report is the largest examination of police use of force based on data compiled by law enforcement agencies, according to the police chiefs' organization.

Public perception affected by high-profile cases

But the highly publicized cases of violent arrests paint another picture of how law enforcement officers perform on duty.

A citizen captured the 1991 police beating in Los Angeles of motorist Rodney King

Some examples: The arrests and beatings of suspected illegal immigrants by California authorities that was captured on videotape by a Los Angeles news helicopter, the case of Haitian-born Abner Louima, who allegedly was sexually assaulted with a plunger by New York Police officers, and the videotaped beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles Police, which sparked riots in Los Angeles.

"Police misconduct is not rare ... I regret to say," said attorney Hugh Manes, who specializes in cases of alleged police misconduct.

The Los Angeles Police Department is trying to use a kinder, gentler approach to subduing violent suspects. The LAPD began arrest training after a study of past incidents and recommendations from self-defense experts.

"What was the most effective way to restrain them and what was the safest way to restrain them ... not only safe for the officer but safe for the suspect," said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Greg Dossey of the training, which is required every 18 months.

Despite the Justice report, Manes doubts police violence is decreasing, and he said Los Angeles' new training requirement is still not enough.

"Once every 18-months ain't gonna cut it ... you need training on a daily or certainly on a several-times-a-week basis in order to be effective," Manes said.

Correspondent Jill Hill contributed to this report.

Related story:

• 4 New York cops to face federal charges - December 4, 1997

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• International Association of Chiefs of Police
• NATIONAL POLICE USE OF FORCE DATABASE PROJECT

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

---

 

---

	further reading

Sound off on our message boards & chat

© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
A Time Warner Company
All Rights Reserved.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.