To address some of the data problems, Mr. Comey has begun an overhaul of some of the FBI’s data gathering. And last year, President Obama renewed the Death in Custody Reporting Act, which requires states that get federal money for crime programs to report anyone who died in police custody.
But these have been called poor substitutes for a stronger federal law. “First and foremost, the dearth of data surrounding lethal use of force must be eliminated,” said says Walter Katz, a member of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement, in The New York Times. “Lawmakers have to force police departments to adopt a culture of transparency where a range of data including the use of force, traffic stops and complaints are made public.”
US Attorney General Eric Holder has acknowledged the need in January. “I’ve heard from a number of people who have called on policymakers to ensure better record-keeping on injuries and deaths that occur at the hands of police,” he said at a ceremony honoring Martin Luther King Jr. “I’ve also spoken with law enforcement leaders … who have urged elected officials to consider strategies for collecting better data on officer fatalities. Today, my response to these legitimate concerns is simple: We need to do both.”
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