Historically, many police departments and government entities have not kept detailed use-of-force statistics, and, currently, the most detailed databases on incidents like police shooting fatalities are maintained by news organizations like The Washington Post.1 The White House has invited U.S. law enforcement agencies to voluntarily participate in more robust data collection and reporting of use of force, but, as of April 2016, only 53 jurisdictions had signed up to participate in these efforts.2
For various reasons, compiling these statistics—much less using the numbers to inform training or other improvement measures—has proven challenging to many in the law enforcement community. Many agencies don’t track the use of force, and those that do often do so in uneven or inconsistent ways.
Thanks to some new software programs, however, solving these challenges may now be much easier than police departments realize.
Removing Guesswork Concerning Use of Force
The Police Force Analysis System or P-FAS, is a new software program that collects use-of-force data, analyzes the numbers based on a wide range of factors, and assigns easy-to-interpret scores that characterize the extent to which each use of force was legally justifiable.
“Some systems look only at the frequency of force, but recent studies show a high false positive rate with that because there’s lot of reasons for use of force,” said Bob Scales, a partner with Sanford, Olson and Scales, a police strategy consulting firm in Bainbridge Island, Washington. “Instead of doing that, we say ‘let’s look at the context’… The heart of [P-FAS] is using a score based on legal standards. You make determinations on whether there was justified or excessive use of force based on what the officer was facing at the time.”3
The resulting information can do much more than increase transparency. The software, developed by retired law enforcement professionals, informs and educates leaders—both in police departments and beyond—in ways that can shape everything from budgets to policy.
“It enables data-driven decision-making and evidence-based policies,” Scales said. “This allows you to do all of this. They can say ‘hey, we want to look at our policies’… You’re able to answer questions that people have about the use of force; you know what’s going on in your department. It helps with budget deliberations and risk management with officers.”4
P-FAS uses 150 different variables to comb through officer reports and witness statements to identify use-of-force incidents. The incidents can then by viewed individually and sorted based on a variety of factors, including level of force, severity of the crime involved, threat level to officers or others, maximum suspect resistance level, and various demographic attributes. All the information can be easily manipulated in a series of dashboard displays and organized to illustrate a variety of trends and patterns. “You can sort each officer or case out based on circumstances to find high-risk or low-risk cases, officers involved, and case numbers,” Scales said.5
Launched in 2015, P-FAS is still new. Nonetheless, 20 agencies are already using the platform, with a total of 10,000 reports serving as the general baseline against which users benchmark their own performance. For users, P-FAS is already paying dividends, making for a smarter police force.
“We had one agency where the officer had higher use-of-force numbers than others, but all the incidents seemed justified [and] in the proper context,” Scales recalled. “The chief talked to this officer, who said ‘I can tell you exactly why this is happening; it’s because I’m the only one reporting on every use of force.’ So they retrained on reporting requirements around use of force, and all officers are now reporting properly.”6
Better Tools Now, Better Data Later
Another new software tool can help officers collect better use-of-force data in the field and in real time. The SmartForce agency management system, a software application that lets officers communicate inside and outside a department and digitally document various activities or processes, now includes what company leaders call a High Liability Management module, which allows officers to more easily document use-of-force incidents.
“The High Liability Management module helps reduce the risks and exposures of police departments in use-of-force incidents,” wrote Mariano Delle Donne, CEO of Adventos, the company that developed SmartForce, in a blog post. “The module’s Response to Resistance application sequentially tracks and reports on uses of force. The information is searchable and allows for real-time reporting for command staff or open-records requests. Body-worn camera footage can be included in reports. All the information is accessible on mobile devices, too.”7
SmartForce provides a mobile platform that helps officers better organize information and share it among one another. According to Adventos data, one client, the City of Port St. Lucie Police Department in Florida, achieved at least a 20 percent decrease in crime and a 40 percent increase in clearance rates, thanks in part to its adoption of SmartForce.
“The SmartForce Agency Management System makes many law enforcement administrative jobs easier by converting paper process to electronic processes in regard to use-of-force reporting, complaints and commendations reporting, field training officer programs, and policy acknowledgment, to mention a few,” said Adventos Vice President of Sales and Marketing Brian McGrews.8
Keeping Track of Training
Of course, use of force is just one area where training software and programs are available to law enforcement. In fact, with all the options, tracking which officers have completed which training programs can be complicated.
LEA Data Technologies, an Oregon-based software company working solely in the law enforcement arena, has various solutions for different police needs. One of these solutions is the Training Database, an automated system for scheduling and monitoring any kind of training. The software can also help departments stay on top of certification maintenance, including when a given certification is set to expire and what is required for renewal.
According to Dave Broomfield, a retired detective and the director of development for LEA Data Technologies, the company was founded by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement professionals. Given that background, LEA understands constrained budgets, Broomfield said. That’s why the company keeps software prices manageable, does not charge for software re-licensing, and charges only $100 to $200 for annual upgrades, which are optional.
“We took areas and special units that we knew needed unique software to help them manage their unit with more detailed reporting and tracking,” said Broomfield. “I have one captain from the New Orleans Police Training Academy that has told us that our Training Database helps make him look good to his bosses.”9
Notes:
1“Fatal Force,” The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/police-shootings-2016 (accessed July 12, 2016).
2The White House, “Fact Sheet: White House Police Data Initiative Highlights New Commitments,” press release, April 21, 2016, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/04/22/fact-sheet-white-house-police-data-initiative-highlights-new-commitments (accessed July 12, 2016).
3Bob Scales (partner, Sanford, Olson and Scales), telephone interview, July 11, 2016.
4Ibid.
5>Ibid.
6Ibid.
7Mariano Delle Dome, “A New Way of Managing Response to Resistance,” Adventos (blog), March 17, 2016, http://www.adventos.com/blog/adventos/a-new-way-of-managing-response-to-resistance (accessed July 17, 2016).
8Brian McGrew (vice president of sales and marketing, Adventos), email interview, July 12, 2016.
9Dave Broomfield (director of development, LEA Technologies), email interview, July 11, 2016.
Law Enforcement Evaluations Online
Training Response Network Inc.
