This first volume of a four-volume report on a 2-year study of police use of deadly force presents an overview of shooting procedures and experiences in the 14 police departments visited during the initial phase of the study which aimed at selecting 4 departments for intensive study.
The field work, conducted between January and March 1980, involved visits to police departments in Birmingham; Dallas; Denver; Detroit; Honolulu; Kansas City, Mo.; Miami; Newark; New York City; Oakland, Calif.; St. Louis; San Diego; San Jose, Calif.; and Rochester, N.Y. These departments were selected on the basis of their willingness to cooperate and their location in cities with a high volume of violent criminal activity. The policies for use of deadly force in these departments are presented as obtained from formal statements in the libraries, training academies, and archives of the departments. At times, the volume relates these formal policies to other aspects of the agencies' structure and work: size and personnel, the level and types of crime within the jurisdiction, and similar factors. Tables, charts, and illustrations pertaining to police shooting incidents in the 14 jurisdictions.