Office of Police Complaints Releases 7th Annual Use of Force Report

(Washington, DC)- The Office of Police Complaints (OPC) today released its 7th annual Use of Force reportto Mayor Muriel Bowser, the Council of the District of Columbia, and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela A. Smith.

The report highlights that in 2023, OPC found there were 2,312 uses of force reported by 1,017 officers, which represents an 11% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, there were 1,142 reported use of force incidents, reflecting a 10% increase from 2022.

OPC also found that 86 officers reported using force five times or more, while 17 officers used force 10 times or more. Similar to prior years, force incidents involving a single officer accounted for 47% of all reported cases.

Additionally, Black community members were the subject of 94% of all reported uses of force, indicating a 3% increase from 2022. White community members made up 4% and 1% for Hispanic members. Males were the subject of 81% of the reported uses of force and females were 19%. Also, 53% of the community members between the ages of 18 and 34 years old were the subject of reported uses of force in 2023.

Further findings revealed that firearm discharges were reported in 12 incidents involving both human and animal subjects - eight people and four dogs. Of the eight incidents involving people, one resulted in a fatality. All eight of the subjects were Black and male.

The Third, Sixth, and Seventh Districts continued to account for the highest percentage of use of force incidents, making up 59% of the total cases. These districts include the Northwest areas of Washington, D.C. as well as the areas east of the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.

Tactical takedowns and control holds remained the most frequently used types of force, with control holds being the highest level of force used in 22% reported uses of force. Officers also reported pointing firearms at subjects in 20% of cases.

As a result of its review and analysis of MPD officers' use of force, OPC's 2023 recommendations include:

• Re-administering the mandated Use of Force Training to officers who receive sustained allegations of unnecessary or excessive force, and
• Reassessing MPD's firearms training program to improve accuracy, as officers had only a 28% accuracy rate when discharging their firearms at human subjects in 2023.

Since 2017, MPD has fully implemented eight of OPC's recommendations, partially implemented four, and has not implemented two recommendations.

"Transparency in law enforcement practices is critical for public trust and safety," said Michael G. Tobin, Executive Director of OPC. "Our goal is to ensure the community is informed and engaged in conversations about police use of force and this report serves as a tool to encourage to facilitate those discussions."

To view the full report, visit www.policecomplaints.dc.gov.

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