"What I've Learned from Two Years Collecting Data on Police Killings"

[RockaFowler]

http://gawker.com/what-ive-learned-from-two-years-collecting-data-on-poli-1625472836/+kylenw

The biggest thing I've taken away from this project is something I'll never be able to prove, but I'm convinced to my core: The lack of such a database is intentional. No government—not the federal government, and not the thousands of municipalities that give their police forces license to use deadly force—wants you to know how many people it kills and why.

It's the only conclusion that can be drawn from the evidence. What evidence? In attempting to collect this information, I was lied to and delayed by the FBI, even when I was only trying to find out the addresses of police departments to make public records requests. The government collects millions of bits of data annually about law enforcement in its Uniform Crime Report, but it doesn't collect information about the most consequential act a law enforcer can do.

I've been lied to and delayed by state, county and local law enforcement agencies—almost every time. They've blatantly broken public records laws, and then thumbed their authoritarian noses at the temerity of a citizen asking for information that might embarrass the agency. And these are the people in charge of enforcing the law.

SNIP

This is the most most heinous thing I've learned in my two years compiling Fatal Encounters. You know who dies in the most population-dense areas? Black men. You know who dies in the least population dense areas? Mentally ill men. It's not to say there aren't dangerous and desperate criminals killed across the line. But African-Americans and the mentally ill people make up a huge percentage of people killed by police.

This is a great read. Why isn't there a database for this?? The FBI keeps stats on murders in each state. It shouldn't be hard to keep a list of some sort. Or is that they don't want it to be available to anyone . . .

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, RockaFowler.

[RockaFowler]

2. Thanks Uncle Joe

I've been catching up on the Deadspin thread on this as well. I'm glad someone in the media is trying to put this together. I just can't believe it hasn't happened before now . . . so sad

[Uncle Joe]

3. It's long overdue, RockaFowler. n/t

[etherealtruth]

4. Thanks for posting

It certainly appears to be intentional

[Lindsay]

5. Very worthwhile reading.

Thanks for posting.

[phantom power]

6. They're all effectively unaccountable, except to themselves.

[deafskeptic]

27. That's a good one!

I read Alan Moore's graphic novel earlier this year and it certainly made me think about superheroes mentality & methods when it comes to criminals - in particular - Batman. I've been a Batman fan since I was 7 but it certainly made me rethink some stuff. I find some of Batman's methods questionable. He's more of an anti-hero then a true hero.

It could be an allegory to today's events that got right ugly in Ferguson as well as well as past evens leading to Ferguson like events. I think cops should be held accountable and news that I've heard about police's lack of cooperation with the ACLU is disturbing.

[daleanime]

35. He is now.....

didn't start that way.

[raven mad]

7. K&R and shared on my FB page.

Lack of a database is deliberate.

[joeybee12]

8. He's right...the only conclusion is they don't want you to know...knr

[DrewFlorida]

9. Great thread. This whole subject of the gross arrogance and brutality of police....

has grabbed my attention. It is the ultimate disgrace of American values, a disgrace against everything our country is supposed to stand for.
I'm going to spend some time helping this effort!

Thank you for posting this!

[RockaFowler]

11. I see it here in Florida, too

In Palm Beach County we had a run of police shootings. Everyone of the men that were murdered (yes I believe this) were unarmed. One man was at his OWN HOME and asked the officer why he was at his house. The officer said he thought the person was belligerent and was trying to go for his gun. The officer shot the young man. The Sheriff said his deputy was justified. Why?? He had no weapon - he was on his own property - and no-one called the police to even come to his house in the first place. I ask this everyday here - why shoot first?? You can't shoot to injure?? You have to shoot to kill?? I will never understand this. Here is the story from my station when it occurred 2 years ago:
http://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/seth-adams-shooting-case-palm-beach-county-sheriff-ric-bradshaw-defends-deputy-involved-in-shooting

[iscooterliberally]

17. I live in South Florida too, and I have seen it as well.

I'm one county down from you. This happened less than a mile from where I used to live:

http://www.drugwarrant.com/2005/08/drug-war-victim-anthony-andrew-diotaiuto/

The same cops that killed this poor kid and got away with it, beat the crap out of my kid on my front lawn in front of all my neighbors. I was about 40 miles away working when it happened. These cops also stole cash from another kid's vehicle when they illegally searched it. The poor kid had just cashed his paycheck and drove up in the middle of the raid. The city of Sunrise is notorious for luring desperate people from all over the country in reverse sting drug busts. They are creating crime so they can beat up people, or kill them, and seize whatever valuables they come across. They tossed my house looking for cash. Luckily we had none, or they would have stolen that too. As far as I'm concerned the war on drugs IS police brutality. After all I have seen, I think we should legalize drugs, and end the DEA. Then take all the war toys away from the local PDs.

[RockaFowler]

21. I am so sorry for you and your family

[iscooterliberally]

22. We're OK, but thanks!

This all happened about 4-5 years ago when my son was still in high school. He learned a hard lesson as did I, but we survived. I feel sorry for that other kid's family that I sent the link on. They shot him 10 times in his own home. The neighbors all protested and stormed city hall back in '05 when that happened. That could have been us. We were very lucky. These same police still drive around Sunrise preying on young people.

[PoliticAverse]

18. Pretty hard for a dead person to refute an officer's "went for my gun" allegation. n/t

[DrewFlorida]

33. I live Palm Beach County also! The police in South Florida are good ole boy types.

They are as crooked and brutal as there are anywhere.

[Dems to Win]

10. To police officers, citizens are the enemy

Not surprising they would lie to their enemies. Disgusting, but not surprising.

[rhett o rick]

12. k&r. Thanks for posting. nm

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

13. K & R nt

[me b zola]

14. K&R

[woo me with science]

15. Police state. To the Greatest Page.

This is a tremendously important post.

Thank you. K&R

[RockaFowler]

16. Thanks Woo

I agree as well!

[stage left]

19. K&R

What's going on in this country needs the strong light of day.

[thesquanderer]

20. The same reason the U.S. did not track Iraqi civilian casualties in the war

If the government cannot somehow use the information to its benefit, there is no use in having it.

[zeemike]

23. Because they learned from history?

The Germans were good record keepers, and that is what did them in after the war when charged with the crimes.
When committing crimes you don't make a record of it, and you don't show what you do.

[CrispyQ]

24. They protect and serve the 1%.

Many Gawker readers watched in horror as Albuquerque police killed James Boyd, a homeless man, for illegal camping. Look at these stats, though (I don't know if they're comprehensive; I believe they are): In Bernallilo County, N.M., three people were killed by police in 2012; in 2013, five. In Shelby County, Tenn., nine people were killed by police in 2012; in 2013, 11.

Who the hell knew Memphis Police were killing men at more than double the rate the cops were killing people in Albuquerque?

We have a right to know these statistics. I agree completely with the author:

I'm convinced to my core: The lack of such a database is intentional. No government—not the federal government, and not the thousands of municipalities that give their police forces license to use deadly force—wants you to know how many people it kills and why.

[woo me with science]

25. +1000000 "The lack of such a database is intentional."

We can't let this drop. This needs to be kept on top and put in every politician's face with a response demanded.

There is no excuse for not keeping these records and having them available to the public. It reeks of corruption.

This must be publicized and used to demand change in the system, and to raise awareness of how corrupt it really is.

[MindPilot]

37. A democratic primary challenger should put this issue front and center.

Whoever does it won't win a primary because the PTB won't let that happen, but police terrorism will have to become an issue in the campaign.

Please don't let reigning in police excesses become a libertarian brand.

[woo me with science]

38. +1000000

And ditto for all the other critical ssues corporate Democrats seem hell-bent on ceding to Libertarians - the drug wars, the MIC, the surveillance state...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5432518

[quintinlance]

26. Thanks for posting this

Rockal thanks for posting this

[Enthusiast]

28. Kicked and recommended!

Thanks, RockaFowler!

[rock]

29. As stunning as your report is

It is not surprising. I felt this was the case all along.

[Garion_55]

30. list of people killed this month by cops.........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States,_August_2014

[Ilsa]

32. Looks like about 2 per day. nt

[obxhead]

31. See no evil, hear no evil, report no evil.

Nif it gets compiled and reported it can be addressed.

Eventually we'll need to keep the protests running 24/7 year round. Then they can do something to correct the problem or we can revolt.

Will anything change when the residents of Ferguson go back home? I doubt it.

[blackspade]

34. K&R

Damn right the cops don't want you to know how many and who they kill every year.
It would start a tsunami of protests.
Just look at the ones we do find out about. It's horrible.

[fasttense]

36. The state doesn't track the number of murders the police commit for the same reason

they don't track the number of people who protested against W and other president. For the same reason they changed the crime reporting system when W gained control (and then suddenly crime declined for no apparent reason yet..... we have more people incarcerated in the history of the world, but crime has declined ever since W.) For the same reason they stopped reporting how much money the US prints when W came into office. For the same reason they changed the way they report global climate statistics, ever since W took control. For the same reason they changed how they report economic statistics such as unemployment rate ever since W took over.

For the same reason they went to invisible counting of votes with computers.

Government officials, and the handful of uber rich controlling the officials, don't want you to know.

[woo me with science]

39. kick.