Data reporting for use of force and violence against officer incidents: Qualitative insights from law enforcement command staff and officers

Nationwide, comprehensive data collection of police use of force (UOF) and violence against officer (VAO) incidents is lacking. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with 21 command staff and 4 officers from 21 law enforcement agencies to understand agencies’ UOF and VAO reporting and recording processes. Five themes were identified: (1) definitions of reportable UOF vary across agencies; (2) the UOF reporting and reviewing process is labor-intensive; (3) VAO reporting needs improvement; (4) most agencies lack effective processes to identify officers with high UOF rates; and (5) analysis of aggregate UOF data can be used to improve training and policies.