New Jersey launched a groundbreaking website Tuesday showing every time cops statewide used physical force, a level of transparency experts said doesn’t exist in other parts of the country.
Officers must fill out a use-of-force report whenever they hit, tackle or shoot suspects, and thousands of recent reports are now available to search and download on an interactive portal.
Here’s how you use it.
Where do I start?
Go to the state attorney general’s website here.
If you’re asked to enter a username and password, just click “guest” instead.
You’ll get a page that looks like this:
Near the top are six tabs.
You’re currently looking at the “Introduction” tab.
Click on the “Overall Report Data” tab next to it to review a summary of how officers used force statewide.
For example, the graph on the right shows that incidents have generally declined in the past few months.
Other tabs go into more detail.
“Injury Data,” for example, is exactly what it sounds like.
How do I find my police department?
In the upper left-hand corner is a button that reads “Select County, PD, & Officer.”
Clicking there will open a menu letting you choose a county or department.
You can also type in an officer’s name to see how often they reported using force.
If you’re not sure how to spell a name, just start writing and the website will suggest officer names to choose from.
Once you select a cop, you’ll see that officer’s statistics from Oct. 1 through the end of February.
Is it a problem if an officer used force a lot?
Not necessarily.
More uses of force may just mean they have a more dangerous job.
Every incident must be reviewed by at least two supervisors, according to new rules from the state attorney general’s office that take effect at the end of this year.
What else I learn about my department?
Lots. Other tabs offer all sorts of details, from why someone was restrained to a suspect’s race to weapons used.
If you click on the last tab, “Use of Force Report Details,” you’ll get this spreadsheet.
Each row represents one use-of-force report filled out by one officer.
To the left of the spreadsheet, you can narrow the data by race, date and other categories.
For example, under “Interaction Type” you could click “Canine bit” to only see incidents where dogs were used.
Can I look up an incident that happened yesterday?
No.
While cops generally must fill out of a use-of-force report within 24 hours, the portal isn’t updated that quickly. Officials hope to eventually be able to refresh the database monthly, according to attorney general spokesman Steven Barnes.
The data currently covers five recent months, October through February.
Does the portal tell me who police used force on?
Those names are not included, nor is the specific location of where an encounter took place.
The omissions are meant to protect people’s privacy, Barnes said.
Being restrained by an officer doesn’t necessarily lead to an arrest, much less a criminal conviction. Sometimes officers hold somebody down who’s having a mental health issue or trying to hurt themselves.
However, the information may still be available. Residents can file public records requests with police departments for specific use-of-force reports with more details.
Why are some officer names missing?
A glitch is causing some names not to appear, Barnes said. They’re working on that.
An officer’s identity may also be withheld if they’re receiving threats.
What’s the difference between a force “report” and a force “incident?”
If five officers tackle one suspect, all five must fill out a force report.
But that event only qualifies as a single incident.
That’s why the portal shows 5,513 reports for only 3,099 incidents.
Officials are fixing a few cases where one incident accidentally appears as multiple incidents, Barnes added.
I have a suggestion for how to make this portal better.
You can give state officials advice here. They’re actually asking for it.
“We are committed to making New Jersey a national leader on policing reform,” state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement. “That’s why we’re so eager to get public feedback.”
Can I download my own copy of the data?
Yes, using this link.
Choose one of four formats. If you’ve never worked with data, the file ending in “.csv” is a good option because you can open it with Microsoft Excel.
Don’t forget to read this document to learn what the categories mean.
Can I look up the data on my phone?
Yes, if you download the “SAS Visual Analytics App” from an app store.
This guide from the state attorney general’s office will both walk you through mobile viewing, and give you more tips about how to interpret the data.
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Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com.
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