In 2019, the FBI launched its National Use-of-Force Data Program, where federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and investigative agencies can voluntarily submit use of force data. On May 25, 2022, two years after the murder of George Floyd, President Biden signed “a historic executive order (EO) to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will build public trust and strengthen public safety.” [efn_note]FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Historic Executive Order to Advance Effective, Accountable Policing and Strengthen Public Safety. Link here. Executive Order link here.[/efn_note]The EO stated mandatory monthly use of force data submission to the FBI for federal law enforcement agencies, positioning them as role models for state and local agencies.
Some agencies may be hesitant to share use-of-force data, but agencies (state, local, and federal) who report data to the National Use-of-Force Data Collection Program benefit from:
- Proactively sharing statistics with the community — Stand at the podium with facts, not anecdotes, when meeting with the community
- Nation-wide standardized reporting — Benefit from an apples-to-apples comparison of data between agencies using the same data sets
- Training analysis — Validate agency training to discover what is working, what isn’t working, who needs more training, and how to adjust training to benefit more team members
Without tools, it takes approximately 38 minutes to report an incident
To properly report national trends, the program collects a minimum of 27 different pieces of data per use of force event, including: 12 general data points about the incident, eight data points about suspects involved, and seven data points about each law enforcement official involved. The collection and validation of this data can take a significant amount of time if done by hand. Data must first be collected and validated, and then incident data can be individually submitted to the program.
Using the FBI’s use-of-force web application interface, it takes approximately 38 minutes per incident to report use of force incidents to the program.[efn_note]Jackman, T. (2020, June 17). FBI launched database on police use of force last year, but only 40 percent of police participated. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/crime-law/2020/06/17/fbi-launched-database-police-use-force-last-year-only-40-percent-police-participated/ [/efn_note] With the right reporting tool, agencies can easily leverage the bulk submission feature and drastically reduce reporting time.
Introducing Mark43 Use of Force Reporting
Mark43 Use of Force Reporting is an easy-to-use data aggregation tool that enables agencies to track and monitor use of force events. Agencies can quickly write use of force reports, track reports through a multi-level approval process, and export the data in an FBI-compliant digital format for quick upload into the National Use-of-Force Data Collection program. Mark43 Use of Force Reporting provides agencies with streamlined dashboards to provide a consolidated view of use of force reports, behavioral crisis reports, traffic stops, and more. Agencies can easily synthesize use of force event data to inform policy development, training programs, performance metrics, and accountability.
