Milwaukee police used force in just 1% of arrests last year, report says

Milwaukee police used force in just 1% of arrests last year, report says

www.jsonline.com

Milwaukee police officers used force in only 1.07% of arrests made in 2009, according to a report presented Thursday to the city's Fire and Police Commission.

The relatively infrequent use of force by the city's police officers contrasts with a general perception that police use force much more often, said Michael Tobin, the commission's executive director.

"The reality of the statistics doesn't reveal that at all," Tobin said. "The statistics show that (the use of force) is a relatively rare and unusual event."

One of the goals of the study was to "document reality as oppose

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Here is the statistics I find interesting.

Officers used force during less than 1% of both traffic stops and interviews with people on the street, according to the study.

About 20% of all Milwaukee police officers, or 387 officers, were involved in the 459 use-of-force incidents analyzed in the study.

According to the study, 27 officers were involved in more than three use-of-force incidents in 2009.

Secure

www.jsonline.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

*Edit Video was removed from youtube*

[edit on 4-6-2010 by xXxtremelySecure]

So use of force means exactly what? I imagine grabbing someones arm and pinning it behind their back while applying cuffs isn't forceful? So what they mean is that only 1% of all arrests resulted in the individual being arrested fighting back.

Thank you for bringing this to light. I am so sick of all the cop hate on ATS. I find it laughable the staff allows derogatory comments towards cops, but everyone else is protected. I'm trying to get on with a police department at quite the pay reduction from my current job, and I certainly don't want to do it to bully, feel like a big man or help the govt. control people. I want to do it because I care about people. Hate me all you want, the avatar is a family joke, I don't want to be dirty harry.

Originally posted by ExPostFacto
So use of force means exactly what? I imagine grabbing someones arm and pinning it behind their back while applying cuffs isn't forceful? So what they mean is that only 1% of all arrests resulted in the individual being arrested fighting back.

It differs slightly for each department, for my department of I have to use ANY force I have to fill out the UOF report.

Secure

Nice find. Some thoughts on the statistics you found interesting:

While there are some people who are predisposed to violence, and a career in law enforcement resulted from this predisposition, I would say these cases are a minority. The vast majority of cops are thoughtful, serious-minded individuals who do the job so the next person doesn't have to. As for why all incidents of EOF had 20% of the force involved, I have a couple guesses:

Not all cops patrol. Some jobs are administrative, and thus would preclude violent encounters.

Not all cops patrol the same sector. Some areas are more dangerous than others.

That's all I got right now. Anyone else have ideas that could explain the trend?

Raustin, I too can't stand the cop bashing. Personally I'd rather the police err on the side of caution more often, but people these days are so sensitive and litigation-crazy that if the cop grabs their arm too hard dollar signs light up in their eyes and they scream police brutality. Sad.

Anyways, cops are awesome, and their job is harder than yours. Show some respect.

z

reply to post by Raustin


I hope you are successful in getting on your PD! And, please accept a heartfelt Thank You from me.

If this world had more people who actually wanted to make a difference in their communities AND stepped up try to make that difference the world would be a kinder place indeed.

Almost 10% (43) of incidents involved use of force against dogs!

In 370 of the incidents the subject was arrested. In the same period 34, 707 arrests were made without force. That's pretty good going and amounts to around 93:1.

Out of 7 districts one was responsible for 30% of incidents. The average for use of force is 3 per 1000 public/police interactions.

I know people have a lot of opinions about the police, it's hard not to, but looking at these figures it's hard to sustain the 'cops are thugs and murderers' allegations. The figures are right here , so check 'em out.

reply to post by Geeky_Bubbe


Thank you. I actually found that very touching. Everyone I know tells me that I would be selling myself short going into law enforcement. I have been asked so many times if I really would be proud as 'just a cop'. I always say if I can maintain my integrity, treat EVERYONE with respect, and make just the slightest difference in my community, then yes, I would be proud to be 'just a cop'.

Where i com from, force can be as simple as giving a verbal order.

Force is the action of someone getting someone else to do what they want them to do.

I imagine that this Milwaukee report encompasses pepperspray, tazer, baton, wrastling and firearm.

Good stats and if taken at face value then a good example of peace keeping in a violent country.

You know the funny thing is going by that and just by that (slanted for the police by the police) It makes them look like good guys.
But first I bet they are including giving tickets.That alone will drastically change the balance .459 USE OF FORCE yep traffic stops are included you dont need a phd to see the slant.
secondly they are not adding the wrongful arrest .That right you heard me .
cops get called for just about anything they usually are sure to arrest someone . Even if the party's who call BOTH say they dont want the other arrested .
and just how many times will they arrest the wrong person anyway?
common scence went out the window 40 years agaio ..
Take this 2 guys go out to a park across the street take a few swings at each other no one hert and 40 years agaio they would have become buds .
Now someone going to jail louse there job and totaly mess up there lifes .
dont pull out that if they didn't want jail bull eather man it was just a couple swings it can happen to any one so lay of the high and mity .
Buy my interaction with the police (watching them 9 out of 10 is just a ticket then 1 out of 15 results in a arrest out of the arrest . 1 out of 100 is not needed violent or the wrong person . now thous number make them look so great .
Get this mr super trooper I had a GUY 17 hit me I DIDNOT hit him back nore even raise my hands and yet the cops told me they would arest me as well as him if i didn't drop the complaint . worse he would go home after an hour wile i was stuck in jail for who knows how long.
I lost my HOME MY KIDS (partly because of my x yes but the JUSTICE system made sure there wasn't a chance in Hades I would be able to fight to keep it. And I have only one deferred prosecution even on my record .
So dont even go to the i must be a criminal thing . ps even that deferred should NOT have ever need a super trooper to mess with any one life.
I was braking up A FIGHT one kid beating on a young child and i mean beating on him wile every one else stood around like im not stopping it .
well the kid hit me so I hit him back JUST once to stop the fight he wasn't heart nor was I .
But hey super trooper has to help even when help isn't needed or wanted and all he will end up doing is messing up another life.
Pat your self and tell your self how great you are your the ONLY one who will
Just to add I know a 60d year old woman who is even scared of the cops.
why well her bf was DRUNK wasted and swinging a BAT and she had the GULL to try and hold him to keep him from hitting her . HOLD HIM IN a HUG bear hug not even hit . I was the witness . well mr super trooper gess who got arrested . Even though i told the cops the guy was a creep same guy who had been arrested for as-ult on her and cops (maybe he hit them to hard?) man i dont want a cop near me nore does ANYONE i know and gess what super trooper most of the people i know DONT even have a ticket on there record .God knows its bad when your better off letting a guy beat you then calling for a cop
But hey in none of these things the use of force was used so keep taht bage shing
[edit on 5-6-2010 by xxcalbier]

[edit on 5-6-2010 by xxcalbier]

Originally posted by Raustin
Everyone I know tells me that I would be selling myself short going into law enforcement.

Yes, I can well imagine. I can imagine because I had the exact same reaction when my son decided he wanted to be a police officer. You see, law enforcement is sorta "the family business" and I very much wanted my son to do something else. Actually, I wanted him to do just about anything else other than LE.

I cried when he told me he had been hired onto a local PD, and they weren't tears of happiness. He has the intelligence and education to do just about anything that would pay a heck of a LOT more money and would have far better working conditions and hours... and he wouldn't have to wear a bullet proof vest to work every day.

The thing is, he is an excellent police officer. His intelligence and critical thinking skills serve him and his community well. Because he loves his job so much, even if it is difficult and dangerous, he strives to be the best cop he can be since he intends to make it his life-long profession. It's NOT "just a paycheck" like so many people view their own jobs.

I have been asked so many times if I really would be proud as 'just a cop'.

You will.

Doing any job well provides its own satisfaction and sense of pride. Doing a difficult job that 99.99% of others could not or would not do provides all the more.

Remember that: 99.99% COULD NOT or WOULD NOT. Yet, we would not have a civil society without those men and women who CAN and DO. We would have anarchy... and violent anarchy at that. Haiti after the recent quake and Somalia are probably informative examples.

What other profession could that be said about?

In my "mature years" I've learned, and been repeatedly reminded, that being "just a cop" is probably the most important service provided that contribute to the general quality of life I enjoy on a personal level.

I could always grow my own food, generate my own electricity, dig my own water well [high water table in my area], ride a bicycle or horse, manage most of my health issues as long as I resigned myself to no "quick fixes in pill bottles", sew my own clothing using cloth I wove on my own, etc. I hope I made my point about how self sufficient I *could* be.

What I couldn't do 24/7/365 is ensure a community where the Rule of Law reigned supreme providing a society that is 99.999 safe and orderly and the laws are codified, not arbitrary. I may not always agree with said laws, but at least I know what they are.

IOW: I could live WITHOUT just about every other service or product, but I could not live without "law and order" and in order to have law and order we have to have highly qualified, intelligent, dedicated police officers. And I mean that "live without" literally... without law and order my chances of *living* decline rapidly.