'1,186 Victims' Dead from Police Violence in the United States

The Highest in the Past 10 Years
26% of Victims Are Black

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] It has been revealed that more than 1,000 victims died last year in the United States due to police violence, including excessive force by officers.

According to the statistics agency 'Mapping Police Violence (MPV)' on the 30th (local time), the total number of people who died from police violence in the U.S. in 2022 was 1,186. This is the highest figure in the past decade. MPV reported that the number of deaths in 2021 was 1,147 and in 2020 was 1,155, and this year, 67 people have died from January 1 to 30.

On the 28th (local time), citizens are protesting in Times Square, Manhattan, New York, USA, outraged by the group beating death of a Black driver by police officers.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Among the victims of police killings last year, Black people accounted for 26%. Considering that Black people make up only about 13% of the total U.S. population, the victim rate of 26% suggests that Black people are at a relatively higher risk of experiencing police violence. From 2013 to 2022, the number of Black people killed by police was 7.22 per 100,000, the highest among various races. This is nearly three times higher compared to 2.63 per 100,000 for White people.

Black people also had the highest unarmed killing rate among police shooting victims at 16.5%. For White people, this rate was 13.0%, which is 3.5% lower.

Similar patterns appeared in other statistical surveys. According to statistics independently compiled by the U.S. daily newspaper The Washington Post (WP), the number of people shot dead by police last year was 1,096, marking a record high. In the same survey, the number of victims was 1,048 in 2021 and 1,019 in 2020.

Regarding this, the British daily The Guardian pointed out that similar victimization has been on the rise even after the death of George Floyd due to excessive police force in 2020. The Guardian analyzed, "Despite community efforts to limit police brutality and international attention, police violence is increasing due to strong resistance to criminal justice reform."

"Police violence is due to short training periods and training content," some opinions say

Some experts attribute the cause of police violence to insufficient training. According to ABC News, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a civic group studying law enforcement policies, pointed out in a report published last November that "the training provided by more than 18,000 U.S. police departments is outdated and too short." While other countries spend long hours on police training, the basic police training period in the U.S. is less than 22 weeks. Compared to Japan’s police training period of 15 to 21 months, Germany’s two and a half years, and Finland’s three years, this is an extremely short period.

Moreover, the content of police academy training is also problematic. It mainly emphasizes weapons use such as shooting and defensive tactics, while neglecting soft skills like communication and crisis management. Furthermore, U.S. police have excessive authority, such as the ability to arrest people for minor offenses, which often leads to frequent conflicts with citizens.

However, some argue that U.S. police officers inevitably rely on firearms and other force because they work in dangerous environments where gun and drug use are frequent.