On This Page |
About this Topic |
An essential element in law enforcement is the potential for suspect resistance and police use of or threatened use of force. In the Police Public Contact Survey (PPCS), persons who had contact with police during the previous 12 months, whether as a driver in a traffic stop or for some other reason, were asked if the police officer(s) used or threatened to use force against them during the contact. Survey respondents who reported more than one contact during the year were asked about the use or threat of force by police during their most recent contact.
Summary findings
Data Collections & Surveys |
Publications & Products |
Data Tables
Press Releases
Contacts between Police and the Public, 2008 Presents findings from a nationally representative survey of nearly 60,000 residents age 16 or older about their contact with police during the 12 months prior to the interview. | |
Press Release | PDF (932K) | ASCII file (48K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 51K) | Codebooks and Datasets
Part of the Contacts between Police and the Public Series |
|
Citizen Complaints about Police Use of Force Presents data on citizen complaints about police use of force received by large, general purpose State and local law enforcement agencies as well as on complaint dispositions. | |
Press Release | PDF (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | Codebooks and Datasets | To order paper version
|
|
Characteristics of Drivers Stopped by Police, 2002 Provides data on the nature and characteristics of traffic stops, as collected in the 2002 Police-Public Contact Survey, a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. | |
PDF (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 60K) | To order paper version
|
|
Contacts between Police and Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey Presents data on the nature and characteristics of contacts between residents of the U.S. and the police over a 12-month period. | |
PDF (886K) | ASCII file (62K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 25K) | To order paper version
Part of the Contacts between Police and the Public Series |
|
Characteristics of Drivers Stopped by Police, 1999 Provides data on the nature and characteristics of traffic stops, as collected in the 1999 Police-Public Contact Survey. | |
PDF (198K) | ASCII file (48K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 145K) | Codebooks and Datasets
|
|
Contacts between Police and Public: Findings from the 1999 National Survey Presents data on the nature and characteristics of citizen contacts with the police over a 12-month period. | |
Press Release | PDF (451K) | ASCII file (100K) | Spreadsheet (549K) | Codebooks and Datasets
Part of the Contacts between Police and the Public Series |
|
Policing and Homicide, 1976-98: Justifiable Homicide of Felons by Police and Murder of Police by Felons Presents annual trends from 1976 to 1998 in two types of homicide: justifiable homicides of felons by police, and murders of police officers by felons. | |
PDF (217K) | ASCII file (90K) | Spreadsheet (Zip format 116K) | Codebooks and Datasets
|
|
Use of Force By Police: Overview of National and Local Data This joint report by the National Institute of Justice and BJS presents findings on the extent and nature of police use of force, discusses the difficulties in establishing measurement guidelines, illuminates circumstances under which force is applied, and provides a general framework for future research on excessive displays of force. | |
Chapters 1-3 (PDF 250K) | Chapters 4-6 (PDF 193K) | ASCII file (256K)
|
|
Police Use of Force Reports the results of the Police-Public Contact Survey and describes a project to acquire use of force data from law enforcement agencies. | |
Press Release (4K) | PDF (376K) | ASCII file (123K) | Codebooks and Datasets
|
|
National Data Collection on Police Use of Force Summarizes prior research on police use of force and lists the difficulties inherent in collecting use-of-force data, including definitional problems, reluctance of police agencies to provide reliable data, concerns about the misapplication of reported data, and the degree of detail needed on individual incidents. | |
PDF (301K) | ASCII file (118K)
|
Related Links |
Bureau of Justice StatisticsBJS Statistical Principals and Practices Scientific Integrity Statement OJP Freedom of Information Act |
Web Site |
PartnersFederal Bureau of Investigation Federal Justice Statistics Resoruce Center |
Stay Connected |