General Discussion

ellenrr

(3,864 posts) Mon Dec 28, 2015, 08:17 AM Dec 2015

Harvard Medical Scientists Say Police Killings Should Be Recorded As Public Epidemic

Harvard researchers have called on US Public Health Agencies to consider police killings and police deaths public health issues. With that request, researches are also echoing numerous activists who are urging them to begin tracking the number of people killed by police.

The proposal was inspired by a year of continuous protests and public pressure from the #BlackLivesMatter movement, which stemmed from the murder of unarmed Michael Brown on August 9, 2014, and the consistent police murders and protests that have happened since.

As there are no official numbers, the best available data comes from independent news agencies like the Guardian (UK), who reported that 1,058 Americans have been killed by police in 2015. For African Americans, the number of law enforcement-related deaths per capita is twice as high as it is in the white population.

Their project, “The Counted” also indicates that US civilians are killed by police at an average of about three times a day. It includes cases of police who kill armed suspects, which many vocal police supporters consider justified without carefully examining the situation.

http://usuncut.com/black-lives-matter/harvard-medical-police-killings-public-epidemic/

41 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Harvard Medical Scientists Say Police Killings Should Be Recorded As Public Epidemic (Original Post) ellenrr Dec 2015 OP

Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast Dec 2015 #1

Of course. SusanCalvin Dec 2015 #2

Bullshit! How about a real epidemic?? pocoloco Dec 2015 #15

So? If that's not being counted either, SusanCalvin Dec 2015 #17

+1 - That was a weird response! fleur-de-lisa Dec 2015 #25

Excellent! One look at stats for other nations shows Hortensis Dec 2015 #3

NRA and other gun nuts don't want stats published. lark Dec 2015 #4

Statistics of all types are recorded and published enmass annually pipoman Dec 2015 #8

For everyone to see? Because it sure doesn't seem accessible to media AllyCat Dec 2015 #10

Here's a tracking site, which documents its sources: dixiegrrrrl Dec 2015 #11

Great site! nt valerief Dec 2015 #33

Thanks, great information. Hun Joro Dec 2015 #36

Yep...volumes and volumes of statistics on many, many things... pipoman Dec 2015 #14

democracy Now today had on someone who is amassing statistics ellenrr Dec 2015 #21

this is the study I was referring to ellenrr Dec 2015 #41

Yes, BUT . . . markpkessinger Dec 2015 #18

NRA ensured the CDC is denied funding to study gun violence as a public health issue. LanternWaste Dec 2015 #20

study and compilation of statistics are 2 entirely different things pipoman Dec 2015 #23

The CDC is denied funding for gun-control advocacy. Fixed. Eleanors38 Dec 2015 #32

And yet... Gormy Cuss Dec 2015 #22

There is no law (that I am aware of) prohibiting compiling those numbers. pipoman Dec 2015 #24

Non sequitur. Gormy Cuss Dec 2015 #26

You are in a conversation (subthread) pipoman Dec 2015 #30

You directed a comment at me that had nothing to do with my comment Gormy Cuss Dec 2015 #35

There are reams of gun stats collected by the government hack89 Dec 2015 #9

Better yet, just go here: dixiegrrrrl Dec 2015 #13

The FBI's stats on police killings are grossly under-reported... markpkessinger Dec 2015 #19

You like stats?? pocoloco Dec 2015 #16

Posting from a right wing source Truprogressive85 Dec 2015 #28

K&R. Glad to hear it. Overseas Dec 2015 #5

K&R nt Live and Learn Dec 2015 #6

1,058 killed by police & how many more with injuries from kicks, punches, ground-slams? Sunlei Dec 2015 #7

About time to shine a light on America's darkest secrets.. mountain grammy Dec 2015 #12

KNR Faux pas Dec 2015 #27

Now there's a novel idea... 2naSalit Dec 2015 #29

K&R. nt tblue37 Dec 2015 #31

But if the police can't kill at will, how are the oligarchs supposed to keep us in line and valerief Dec 2015 #34

So lets see....about 12 million people arrested every year... EX500rider Dec 2015 #37

I think they should also log how many pets are killed by police also. glinda Dec 2015 #38

Long overdue Egnever Dec 2015 #39

all gun deaths should be considered a public health issue IMO Doctor_J Dec 2015 #40

Enthusiast

(50,983 posts)

1. Kicked and recommended!

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 09:25 AM

Dec 2015

SusanCalvin

(6,592 posts)

2. Of course.

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 09:55 AM

Dec 2015

It's ridiculous it's not already being counted.

pocoloco

(3,180 posts)

15. Bullshit! How about a real epidemic??

Reply to SusanCalvin (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 11:08 AM

Dec 2015

How Many Die From Medical Mistakes in U.S. Hospitals?

http://www.propublica.org/article/how-many-die-from-medical-mistakes-in-us-hospitals

SusanCalvin

(6,592 posts)

17. So? If that's not being counted either,

Reply to pocoloco (Reply #15)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 11:23 AM

Dec 2015

Then that's one more thing that should be counted.

Not sure why you seem to be getting worked up - counting one doesn't mean you can't count the other as well. And anything else that ought to be counted but isn't.

fleur-de-lisa

(14,628 posts)

25. +1 - That was a weird response!

Reply to SusanCalvin (Reply #17)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:47 PM

Dec 2015

DU is getting strange . . .

Hortensis

(58,785 posts)

3. Excellent! One look at stats for other nations shows

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 09:56 AM

Dec 2015

that it really, really should be. And attacked and vanquished like any other epidemic.

lark

(23,142 posts)

4. NRA and other gun nuts don't want stats published.

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:03 AM

Dec 2015

It'd prove most of their arguments to be wrong.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

8. Statistics of all types are recorded and published enmass annually

Reply to lark (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:32 AM

Dec 2015

By the FBI, CDC, DOJ and others.

AllyCat

(16,215 posts)

10. For everyone to see? Because it sure doesn't seem accessible to media

Reply to pipoman (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:43 AM

Dec 2015

Or researchers.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

11. Here's a tracking site, which documents its sources:

Reply to AllyCat (Reply #10)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:50 AM

Dec 2015

http://killedbypolice.net/

valerief

(53,235 posts)

33. Great site! nt

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #11)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 02:34 PM

Dec 2015

Hun Joro

(666 posts)

36. Thanks, great information.

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #11)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 04:42 PM

Dec 2015

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

14. Yep...volumes and volumes of statistics on many, many things...

Reply to AllyCat (Reply #10)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:53 AM

Dec 2015

http://www.cdc.gov/datastatistics/

https://m.fbi.gov/#https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats

There are many more depending on what you are looking for. ..

ellenrr

(3,864 posts)

21. democracy Now today had on someone who is amassing statistics

Reply to AllyCat (Reply #10)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:36 PM

Dec 2015

He mentioned a couple of organizations which are doing research.
I don't remember the names but at the website
http://www.democracynow.org/
in a couple of hours the transcript will be up and you can see.

ellenrr

(3,864 posts)

41. this is the study I was referring to

Reply to ellenrr (Reply #21)

Tue Dec 29, 2015, 06:18 AM

Dec 2015

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027481643

markpkessinger

(8,401 posts)

18. Yes, BUT . . .

Reply to pipoman (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 11:38 AM

Dec 2015

From the Wall Street Journal (not exactly an anti-cop rag):

[font size=5]Hundreds of Police Killings Are Uncounted in Federal Stats[/font]

LanternWaste

(37,748 posts)

20. NRA ensured the CDC is denied funding to study gun violence as a public health issue.

Reply to pipoman (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:19 PM

Dec 2015

NRA ensured the CDC is denied funding to study gun violence as a public health issue.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

23. study and compilation of statistics are 2 entirely different things

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #20)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:44 PM

Dec 2015

There is massive compilation of statistics. There is no reason the stat for police shooting shouldn't be compiled too.

Eleanors38

(18,318 posts)

32. The CDC is denied funding for gun-control advocacy. Fixed.

Reply to LanternWaste (Reply #20)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 02:33 PM

Dec 2015

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

22. And yet...

Reply to pipoman (Reply #8)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:37 PM

Dec 2015

From the Harvard study summary:

Although deaths of police officers are well documented, no reliable official US data exist on the number of persons killed by the police, in part because of long-standing and well-documented resistance of police departments to making these data public.

IOW, there is no current mechanism for collecting complete data; current data relies on LEA voluntary compliance.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

24. There is no law (that I am aware of) prohibiting compiling those numbers.

Reply to Gormy Cuss (Reply #22)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:45 PM

Dec 2015

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

26. Non sequitur.

Reply to pipoman (Reply #24)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 12:48 PM

Dec 2015

Nowhere did the researchers state it was against the law to collect these data, just that there is no law or regulation requiring compliance.

pipoman

(16,038 posts)

30. You are in a conversation (subthread)

Reply to Gormy Cuss (Reply #26)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 02:22 PM

Dec 2015

Based on the nonsense in post #4....

Gormy Cuss

(30,884 posts)

35. You directed a comment at me that had nothing to do with my comment

Reply to pipoman (Reply #30)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 02:44 PM

Dec 2015

and now you're trying to blame me for your error?

And FWIW, there needs to be a reg passed authorizing Federal research and the process of clearing that hurdle is how many topics that technically aren't forbidden are kept off the table by political wrangling.

hack89

(39,171 posts)

9. There are reams of gun stats collected by the government

Reply to lark (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:37 AM

Dec 2015

Read the FBI annual crime report for starters.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

13. Better yet, just go here:

Reply to hack89 (Reply #9)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:52 AM

Dec 2015

http://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

markpkessinger

(8,401 posts)

19. The FBI's stats on police killings are grossly under-reported...

Reply to hack89 (Reply #9)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 11:39 AM

Dec 2015

... see http://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-police-killings-are-uncounted-in-federal-statistics-1417577504

pocoloco

(3,180 posts)

16. You like stats??

Reply to lark (Reply #4)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 11:13 AM

Dec 2015

2014 FBI Crime Stats by Race

https://herestherealnews.wordpress.com/2015/10/18/2014-fbi-crime-stats-by-race/

Truprogressive85

(900 posts)

28. Posting from a right wing source

Reply to pocoloco (Reply #16)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 01:14 PM

Dec 2015

Overseas

(12,121 posts)

5. K&R. Glad to hear it.

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:20 AM

Dec 2015

Live and Learn

(12,769 posts)

6. K&R nt

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:22 AM

Dec 2015

Sunlei

(22,651 posts)

7. 1,058 killed by police & how many more with injuries from kicks, punches, ground-slams?

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:32 AM

Dec 2015

how many millions of dollars in cash and personal property stolen by dishonest police when the police have complete freedom to tear through/search homes and cars and pockets?

How many people with PTSD & crippling injuries from years of confinement in Americas crappy prisons?

How many families destroyed because of police and court actions?

mountain grammy

(26,642 posts)

12. About time to shine a light on America's darkest secrets..

Reply to ellenrr (Original post)

Mon Dec 28, 2015, 10:51 AM

Dec 2015

The Equal Justice Initiative has documented thousands of lynchings of American citizens without the benefit of a fair trial, or any trial for that matter. In reading their report, I knew there were probably thousands more that couldn't be documented. Most lynchings were public affairs, (making cell phone technology unnecessary) often on Sundays after church,after all, the lynchers were white Christians acting in the name of God.

http://www.eji.org/files/EJI%20Lynching%20in%20America%20SUMMARY.pdf

And now we have the police forces and justice systems of America carrying on the tradition of incarcerating, terrorizing, marginalizing, and murdering African Americans in the name of the law, and God.