Race and the Use of Force by Police Revisited: Post-Ferguson Findings From a Large County Police Agency

Abstract

This study examines racial and ethnic disparities in the use of force by the Fairfax County, VA Police Department using post-Ferguson data and after the adoption of modern training and use of force policies on de-escalation. White civilians were overrepresented as subjects of force compared to a variety of benchmarks, while Hispanics were underrepresented. Black and Asian civilians also were overrepresented using some benchmarks but not others. Multivariate models revealed that Black civilians experienced more severe force, higher average force levels, and more total force than Whites. We discuss possible reasons for the overrepresentation of Blacks and Whites as subjects of force, as well as the disparities in force levels and the totality of force experienced by Black civilians. We conclude with suggestions for policy change, training, and deployment changes to help reduce the potential influence of unconscious bias in the application of force by the FCPD and other law enforcement agencies.