Part I. The character and causes of police violence: The double transformation of police killings in America -- Killings by police: the numbers game -- Who dies, where and why? : on the social characteristics of victims, the settings and the explanations of killings by police -- Only in America? : police killings in other modern nations -- The problem of police safety -- Trends over time in killings of and by police in the United States -- On costs and consequences: how much do black lives (and white lives) matter? -- Part II. Prevention and control of police killings: The missing links: reporting, documentation, and evaluation in a federal system -- Mission impossible? : the limits and potential of criminal law -- Cops and cameras -- The heart of the matter: governance and training for local policing -- American possibilities, American limits.
Summary:
When Police Kill is the first comprehensive analysis of police use of lethal force in the United States. The first seven chapters of this volume provide a summary and analysis of the known facts about killings by police. Who dies from police gunfire? What circumstances provoke police to shoot? Why is the death rate from shootings by police so high? Why are civilian deaths from police attacks so much higher in the United States than in other developed nations? Why are police also so much more at risk of death by assault than police in other nations? The final five chapters of the book provide an account of how federal, state and local governments can reduce killings by police without risking the lives of police officers. There are many strategies that federal and state government can use to motivate changes by police chiefs and sheriffs, but local law enforcement agencies are the main arena for reducing the carnage from police violence in the United States.-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.