Giving Compass' Take:

• Emily Widra and Wendy Sawyer present a list of online resources to help the public discover data and advocacy materials surrounding American policing.

• Why is it important for the public to remain engaged and informed on American policing trends? What can you do to spread information surrounding criminal justice data in the U.S.?

• For more from Prison Policy Institute, view a series of graphics that display injustices in American policing.

In the wake of yet another tragic police shooting, it’s more important than ever that the public be able to access clear, timely data about police behavior and connect with organizations fighting police brutality. Earlier this year, we summarized our key research on policing and showed that U.S. police kill civilians at a much higher rate than in other countries; now, for those looking for more information, we’ve compiled a (not exhaustive) list of the most valuable online resources from organizations focused on policing.

Data about police behavior and brutality:

Deaths by police:

  • Mapping Police Violence has the most comprehensive database of killings by police in the United States, which is publicly available for download. They also publish data visualizations that help advocates communicate the gravity and severity of police violence.

Arrest, stop, and misconduct data:

  • The Center for Policing Equity works at the intersection of data and advocacy, using data-driven interventions to partner with police departments across the country to better address community needs like mental health, immigration enforcement, and homelessness, as well as changes to departments to enhance diversity recruitment and retention, training and patrol practices.

Police spending:

  • The Vera Institute of Justice created a tool that allows individuals to analyze just how much money is allocated to policing and to explore how changes in each spending category could reduce the total policing budget.

Finally, we’re always curating the best new research about the criminal justice system in our Research Library, which has a section dedicated to policing.

Read the full article about American policing resources by Emily Widra and Wendy Sawyer at Prison Policy Initiative.