American Police Violence in 12 Charts
Sparked by the killing of the unarmed black man, George Floyd, protests have now been taking place for over a week across all of America. Data has been compiled by researchers showing just how problematic police violence is across America and who the most likely recipients of that violence are.
In case you have been living under a rock, police violence is a major problem in America, particularly for the black community. This article compiles that data and showcases 12 graphics to highlight it. I have also included recommendations on how, together, we can support the Black Lives Matter movement and fight to end police brutality and violence.
An Overview
Graphic #1: Police kill 1,000+ People Per Year
- In 2019, police killed 3 Americans per day.
- From 2013–2019, African-Americans were killed in police shootings at a rate of 42 per one million. The highest rate among all races in America.
Graphic #2: Majority of Victims are Unarmed or in Quality of Life scenarios
Nearly 60% of the victims of police killings either did not have a gun or were involved in quality of life behaviors such as mental health crises, that should not require excessive police force intervention.
Graphic #3: The United States is an Outlier
The United States is an outlier in the developed world when it comes to citizens killed by police officers. Police in England, Germany, Australia, Japan have demonstrated that public safety can be protected without utilizing lethal force.
Race Matters When it Comes to Police Violence
Graphic #5: Uses of Force Against Black vs. White People
Police use force against black people at a far higher rate than they use against white people. In Minneapolis, black people experience use of force by police at 7 times the rate in comparison to white people. 20% of the 430,000 people that live in Minneapolis are black. When the police use force — kicks, neck holds, punches, shoves, takedowns, Mace, Tasers or other forms of muscle — 60% of the time the recipient of that force is a black individual. That is according to the city’s own data.
Graphic #6: Unarmed Black Killed at 5x of Unarmed White
Unarmed Black people were killed at 5x the rate of white people in 2015
Graphic #7: 1 in 3 Black People Killed By Police Were Unarmed
Nearly 1 in 3 black people killed by police in 2015 were identified as unarmed, though the actual number is likely higher due to underreporting
Graphic #8: 5% of Black Victims are Killed by Off-Duty Officers
5% of the 1,944 African-American victims killed by police between 2013–2019 were killed by an off-duty police officer, the highest among all races.
Graphic #9: Drug Usage Is Nearly Identical, Arrests are Not
Despite having similar drug usage, black people are arrested at 2.6 times the rate of white people.
Where You Live Matters
Graphic #10: A Tale of Two Similar Cities
Despite similar demographics and violent crime rates, Buffalo police officers killed 0 people from 2013 to 2016 while Orlando police killed 13.
Graphic #11: A Tale of Two Southern States
Two southern states, Georgia and Oklahoma, showcase that police use of lethal force does vary.
Graphic #12: Black Men Killed Higher Rate than the US Murder Rate
8 of America’s largest city police departments kill black men at higher rates than the US Murder Rate.
What Can We Do To Help End Police Violence?
Police use of force policies currently lack basic protections against police violence. However, there are proven solutions to ending police violence and brutality. Below are a few ways we can join the fight.
- Vote. And if you are not registered to do so, register to vote. Right now.
- Support movements that have been fighting for police reform and bringing light to the data: Campaign Zero, Use of Force Project, Mapping Police Violence
- Share the data in this article with friends, family, and social media. Movements need public support. Support is garnered through moving those that are apathetic to those that will become aware and take action.
- Support the Black Lives Matter Movement in any way that you can.
