Reimagining the Use of Force by Police in a Post-Floyd Nation

Abstract

At this important juncture in American policing, this essay sets forth a framework to encourage law enforcement leaders and scholars to reconceptualize the use of force from the ground up. It begins by outlining changes needed in police culture and how police view their mandate to use force in society. It next addresses use of force policy-making and synthesizes recent reviews of the policy landscape, including a recent analysis of the deadly force policy from one the nation’s largest county police agencies. It then suggests ways that better training can improve decision-making and produce better outcomes when force must be used. The essay concludes with a challenge to law enforcement leaders and policy-makers to leverage momentum from the tragic death of George Floyd to make fundamental changes in how police in America think about, train for, use, and manage coercive force in society.