BIO

Natalia Ramirez-Romero is a second year student double majoring in Criminology and International Affairs. She is from Tampa, Florida and aspires to attend law school and practice civil rights law. Natalia is heavily involved in numerous spaces throughout campus including the Hispanic/Latinx Student Union and Student Government.

Review of Police Use of Force Policies

Abstract

The use of force by law enforcement officers quickly became a pressing issue within legislation and public discussion, specifically after the tragic deaths of civilians in police custody. As a result of these fatal encounters and the conversations being held about this issue, there has been increasing pressure to reform the police department’s response to resistance. However, there has been little systematic research to contribute to analyzing policy discussions, making it essential for a systematic policy review to address the safety concerns of the public. In response to these concerns, Campaign Zero launched a proposal of eight policies titled “8 Can’t Wait” to attempt and decrease police violence incidents within the United States. This project aims to answer the question “Does
the presence of the “8 Can’t Wait” policies reduce incidents of police use of force?”. To answer this, the project conducts a systematic review of police use-of-force or response to resistance policies within police departments across the state of Florida, collected via email and public records requests. It evaluates which jurisdictions have adopted the “8 Can’t Wait” policy proposals, along with an additional policy mandating the provision of emergency medical services in the case of an emergency. Concluding the systematic review, we will analyze for possible statistical correlations between policies and reported incidents of police use-of-force, along with any demographic trends in the areas where policies have been adopted.

Keywords: use of force, policing, policy review