Report: Austin Police More Likely to use Force in Communities of Color

A first-of-its kind report on practices at the Austin Police Department found that officers are more likely to use force in communities where more African-Americans and Latinos live. Until now, police use of force in the city hadn’t been quantified in a way that accounted for such factors as crime and poverty rates, which are unique to individual communities and can affect studies into the issue. The analysis from the New York-based think tank Center for Policing Equity determined that Austin police use-of-force rates in communities with higher percentages of blacks and Latinos were still disproportionate even after taking those factors into account. Read more here.