Maintaining Confidence in Police Use of Force in Western Liberal Democracies

Abstract

In a liberal democracy, the police cannot have the power to use force without accountability and transparency. Operational independence to make hard policing decisions should be matched by operational responsibility and willingness to account for that decision. Political and societal pressure can result in over- or under-reaction in the use of hard police tactics. We are not making decisions based on rigorous evidence and research, so we cannot explain why we use certain tactics and whether they are disproportionate. The evidence concerning our need for more self-protection and greater force is poor and may affect our judgement. Public confidence requires both better evidence and better communication of that evidence to communities in which police use force with greatest consequence.