In a first, the Federal Bureau of Investigation says they will begin collecting data on use-of-force incidents reported by law enforcement across the country - a move that many experts say could prove problematic.
According to a release on the FBI's website, the National Use-of-Force Data Collection program will track incidents on police officer's use-of-force that result in death, serious bodily injury, and occasions when an officer has to discharge his weapon at a person.
Jurisdictions at all levels will be able to start submitting the data via a web application beginning Jan. 1st, 2019. The information collected by the FBI will be released in biannual reports.
The database, the first of its kind, was created in response to law enforcement agencies across the country have come under heavy criticism for several high-profile shootings that resulted in the death or injuries by police officers. Statistics tracking this on a national have not been collected, even as some local and state agencies collect their own data.
In a video posted to the FBI's website, Fayetteville, N.C. Chief of Police Gina Hawkins said transparency wasn't easy.
"This transparency is not all the time easy -- it may involve us owning up to, 'We could have made a better decision, we could have better policies, we could have better tactics, we can train better,'" said Hawkins, a member of the FBI's use-of-force data collection task force. "Being transparent leaves us vulnerable, but being vulnerable means we want you to trust us, because we need your support, because we work for the community."
The database will allow law enforcement officers to improve training and tactics, the FBI said. The database will also hopefully help to increase transparency and trust between the community and law enforcement officers.
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