Here’s how Philly compares to other cities in police use of force policies

Three activists and a data dude put their heads together to analyze how police departments in major American cities approach use of force — rather, the steps they are required to take before applying force.

What they’ve found: Not only do police departments make their use of force data inaccessible, but some police departments — like those of Houston and Indianapolis — do not have policies in place to prevent law enforcement officers from applying force during detainment.

The Police Use of Force Project asks four things:

• Is the subject’s life the top priority?
• Have attempts been made to de-escalate the situation?
• Are tactics like chokeholds illegal?
• Are other officers obliged to step in and stop excessive force when they witness it being applied?

According to the study, Philadelphia is the only city that checks off all of those columns. In other words, our police officers are instructed to take the necessary steps to prevent police brutality — or, at least the ones outlined by this project.

Today we launched the Police Use Of Force Project, learn how they enable police violence: https://t.co/xJMhJKZC2H pic.twitter.com/zJEDxu615Y

— deray (@deray) January 20, 2016