FBI Announces the Official Launch of the National Use-Of-Force Data Collection

The FBI is pleased to announce the official launch of the National Use-of-Force Data Collection will take place on January 1, 2019. The National Use-of-Force Data Collection, the first of its kind, is an addition to the national data collections in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Law enforcement officers across the country face complex and dangerous policing environments that may result in the use of force. To date, there has been no mechanism for collecting nationwide statistics related to use-of-force incidents. While some law enforcement agencies and states have proactively developed their own use-of-force data collections for use at both the local and state level, there has yet to be a consistent, aggregated view of such data from a national perspective.

At the request of major law enforcement organizations, the FBI established the National Use-of-Force Data Collection in an effort to promote more informed conversations regarding law enforcement use of force in the United States. The goal of the collection is not to provide insight into specific use-of-force incidents, but instead to offer a comprehensive view of the circumstances, subjects, and officers involved in such incidents nationwide.

The FBI collaborated with representatives from various law enforcement agencies and organizations throughout the nation to develop the features of the data collection. Law enforcement agencies are now able to contribute their own data to the National Use-of-Force Collection, which will provide the public with necessary facts about law enforcement use of force in the course of their duties and ultimately strengthen the nation’s confidence in law enforcement.

By contributing to the National Use-of-Force Data Collection, law enforcement agencies can demonstrate their commitment to better data. Agencies can access the National Use-of-Force Data Collection via a web application in the FBI’s Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP), which allows agencies to report incidents electronically, either individually or by bulk submission. As with all UCR Program data collections, participation is voluntary.

The National Use-of-Force Data Collection is supported by the Criminal Justice Information Services Advisory Policy Board, the Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies, Association of State UCR Programs, International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and the Police Executive Research Forum.

For more information, please visit fbi.gov/useofforce.