Thread by @DrDinD

These data , from statista & security.org, show we have a real problem with police killings in the USA. First, per 100000 population, the US IS WAY off from other wealthy democracies

Second, the cause of death, overwhelmingly, is gunshot

Third, the statistics vary dramatically by state, but disproportionately impact people of color.

Fourth, they vary dramatically by city. Overall rates in Laredo TX per 100000 are nearly 50X those of NYC.

Much has to do with training. Germany puts officers through 2.5 -4 years. The average in the US is 21 weeks. Source: theatlantic.com/international/…

From the same Atlantic article: german police trainees are taught in depth how to handle many situations emphasizing de-escalating, including how to disarm those with lethal weapons.

Contrast that with the militaristic attitude evident in the language of the acting Columbus police chief last week when discussing the death of #MakiahBryant

From the Atlantic article, in other European countries, training & policy limit the use of deadly force.

Another important consideration is ethnic and gender make-up of departments. The NY Times did a deep dive on this a few years after the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO triggered the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

In that period, more departments became whiter

Some big city depts became less white

In general, forces oversample whites relative to the population, especially in leadership positionss

Finally, data org shows the police are dramatically off balance in gender.

Times source: "Which Police Departments Are as Diverse as Their Communities?" nyti.ms/2Hkbfm9

Correction - gender data from here

datausa.io/profile/soc/po…

Here is the security.org link
security.org/resources/poli…