Use of Force
Use of Force Infographic by Police Foundation
The use of force can generally be defined as the means of compelling compliance or overcoming resistance to an officer’s command(s) in order to protect life or property or to take a person into custody. For this reason, some agencies refer to the use of force as “response to resistance.” Types of force can include verbal, physical, chemical, impact, electronic, and firearm. Other definitions of the use of force in law enforcement may differ.
Related Resource: The Police Foundation’s use of force infographic can help in explaining when force occurs, what happens when it occurs, and the legal basis for using force.
The agencies below have released data on the use of force.
Don't see your agency's data on the list below?
Use of Force Datasets
| Name | City | State | Link | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | City | State | Link | Title | |
 |
Austin Police Department | Austin | TX | https://goo.gl/jwylHu | Response to Resistance |
 |
Bedford Police Department | Bedford | VA | https://goo.gl/mJGYtC | Use of Force |
 |
Beloit Police Department | Beloit | WI | https://goo.gl/wgFYfO | Use of Force |
 |
Bloomington Police Department | Bloomington | IN | https://goo.gl/vKAazV | Use of Force |
 |
Cincinnati Police Department | Cincinnati | OH | https://goo.gl/JMxIxk | Use of Force |
 |
Dallas Police Department | Dallas | TX | https://goo.gl/51yKSa | Response to Resistance |
 |
Indianapolis Police Department | Indianapolis | IN | https://goo.gl/L5CWNt | Use of Force |
 |
Lincoln Department of Public Safety | Lincoln | NE | https://goo.gl/4XupS6 | Use of Control |
 |
New Orleans Police Department | New Orleans | LA | https://goo.gl/1DC7sW | Use of Force |
 |
North Bergen Police Department | North Bergen | NJ | https://goo.gl/YT6mGF | Use of Force |
 |
Northampton Police Department | Northampton | MA | https://tinyurl.com/ncyth39e | Use of Force |
 |
Norwich Police Department | Norwich | CT | https://goo.gl/abjESZ | Police Use of Force |
 |
Orlando Police Department | Orlando | FL | https://goo.gl/0G9AqR | Response to Resistance |
 |
Portland Police Bureau | Portland | OR | https://goo.gl/ubwvte | Use of Force |
 |
Seattle Police Department | Seattle | WA | https://goo.gl/URK6rR | Use of Force |
 |
South Bend Police Department | South Bend | IN | https://goo.gl/SieGqM | Police Use of Force Incidents |
 |
University of Delaware Police Department | Newark | DE | https://goo.gl/B2Rm6C | Use of Force |
 |
Phoenix Police Department | Phoenix | AZ | https://tinyurl.com/bdh7k2jp | Officer Pointed Gun at Person (PGP) |
|
Phoenix Police Department | Phoenix | AZ | https://tinyurl.com/msc45jx3 | Response to Resistance |