Police use of force database - Maplewood with highest rate in NJ

NJ.com compiled a massive database tracking police use of force that was released today.

Here's a snippet from the article: Hundreds of N.J. cops are using force at alarming rates. The state's not tracking them. So we did.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/11/nj_police_use_of_force_punch_kick_pepper_spray_sho.html

The Force Report, a 16-month investigation by NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, found New Jersey's system for tracking police force is broken, with no statewide collection or analysis of the data, little oversight by state officials and no standard practices among local departments.

In an unprecedented undertaking, the news organization filed 506 public records requests and collected 72,607 use-of-force reports. They covered every municipal police department and the State Police from 2012 through 2016, the most recent year of data available. The results are now available at http://force.nj.com/ . It is the most comprehensive statewide database of police force ever created and made public in the United States.

Among the findings:

  • While using force is a normal and necessary part of policing, NJ Advance Media found glaring disparities across the state that warrant review. Ten percent of officers accounted for 38 percent of all uses of force. A total of 296 officers used force more than five times the state average, according to the database. 
  • Whenever police use force, the stakes are high. At least 9,302 people were injured by police from 2012 through 2016. At least 4,210 of those were serious enough that the subject was sent to the hospital, though reporting of hospitalization is inconsistent. At least 156 officers put at least one person in the hospital in each of the five years reviewed.
  • Statewide, a black person was more than three times more likely to face police force than someone who is white. In Millville in South Jersey, black people faced police force at more than five times the rate of whites. In South Orange, it was nearly nine times. In Lakewood, it was an astronomical 21 times.
  • The system for reporting use-of-force by police is a mess. Different departments use different forms, making tracking difficult. Officers self-reported incidents, but thousands of reports were incomplete, illegible, lacking supervisory review or missing altogether. At least 62 times, forms were so sloppy the officers accidentally marked themselves as dead.
  • New Jersey fails to monitor trends to flag officers who use disproportionately high amounts of force. The state recently implemented a new early warning system to identify potential problem officers but did not mandate tracking use-of-force trends as a criteria, which experts called a gaping hole in oversight.

------------------------------------------


While South Orange is called out above, if I'm reading the data correctly, the Maplewood Police department had the highest use-of-force rate in the state at 111 incidents per 1,000 arrests. (And I believe the department did not report the use of force in the July 4th incident a couple of years ago, so it's not included in these 2012-2016 data).  

http://force.nj.com/database/state



Fascinating.

In Maplewood the overwhelming number of incidents are compliance holds for resisting arrest--which could probably be reduced by de-escalating and more racial sensitivity.

South orange is a little rougher--albeit with a little more threatening of officers--but those cases aside, there are more fist strikes and otherwise the picture is similar.



There is one officer that has a rate of using force well beyond the rest of the department, over 50% higher rate than the next officer.

He was promoted to sergeant this past summer.

Very interesting.


After all the cr@p we went through with the chief of police, how did this guy get promoted?


Maybe he knows where to get a discount on 'roids.


Are cops drug tested?


yahooyahoo said:
There is one officer that has a rate of using force well beyond the rest of the department, over 50% higher rate than the next officer.
He was promoted to sergeant this past summer.
Very interesting.

 James DeFazio. 



Overall the force has 111 incidents of use of force per 1000 arrests, that's more than 10%.  There needs to be a community wide discussion about this.  


Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Maybe he knows where to get a discount on 'roids.


Are cops drug tested?

 Yes, at least prior to hire and some agencies do random testing as well.  


Wow this is great data. Kudos to the folks who thought this up and pulled it off.

Hopefully PDs review and keep a closer eye on their outlying officers. Some of the numbers are too high to be random.  


The TC sent out an email this afternoon. Behind the story already........


Maplewood Township Committee and the Maplewood Police Department Response to NJ.com "The Force Report"

Maplewood Township and the Maplewood Police Department are committed to fairness and respect for all individuals in our community.  The Maplewood Township Committee and Maplewood Police Department are aware of “The Force Report” that has been published on NJ.com by NJ Advance Media.   The use of force by Maplewood Police officers is an issue of great importance to the Township Committee and one that merits further review.  We recognize that improvements are necessary, as shown clearly in the events of July 5, 2016 and suggested in “The Force Report”. We are striving diligently to enhance safeguards against bias and disparate treatment and to reduce the use of force by Maplewood Police officers as much as possible.  

Accordingly, the Township has taken significant steps over the past two years to address this concern, to change the culture of the Maplewood Police Department, to expand and improve officer training, and to provide increased opportunity for public oversight and feedback regarding law enforcement in our community.

Among the specific actions taken by the Township over the last two years are:

Replacing Department leadership, including appointing a new Chief, Deputy Chief, and Captain;

Engaging a professional outside consultant to investigate the use of force by Maplewood Police officers on July 5, 2016 and make recommendations for changes and improvements in the Department;

Organizational changes to improve officer supervision, increase accountability, investigate allegations of misconduct, and implement appropriate discipline and training;

Hiring and promoting of a greater diversity of officers within the Department;

Increasing training for officers, particularly in the areas of appropriate use of force, crowd control, and de-escalation (the Department’s training budget doubled in 2018); and

Creating the Maplewood Community Board on Police, which provides the opportunity for residents to review police data and activity and make recommendations to the Township to improve the Department.

Further, as mentioned in “The Force Report”, the Chief of the Maplewood Police Department has implemented policies and procedures specifically to reduce the rate of arrests and use of force against juveniles.  Chief DeVaul has also overhauled the Department's oversight process, including personally reviewing all use of force reports, to uncover and eliminate any potential bias in how individual officers are using force.  The Department is also committed to continuing to document any and all uses of force by its officers in compliance with the guidelines of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.  The Township Committee is committed to building trust between the Police Department and the community, and is confident in the leadership of Chief Jimmy DeVaul and Deputy Chief Albert Sally and believes the Department is headed in the right direction.

The Township recognizes that the information in “The Force Report” is of great interest to the Maplewood community.  The Township Committee will be holding a community forum on this topic, including a range of stakeholders, on a date to be announced shortly.  We look forward to a productive dialogue on this important subject.
 



looking at the data on the site suggests that training in de-escalation and when to use compliance holds has potential to lead to improvements.  The number of compliance holds just seems out of whack compared to other police forces.  If I'm reading the data correctly, there was an incident in which two officers used a compliance hold on an 80 year-old woman.  Really?  There was no other way to proceed in that case?


Smedley said:
Wow this is great data. Kudos to the folks who thought this up and pulled it off.
...

Yeah.  nj.com is the Ledger, right? Major props to everyone.

This is why it's so important to support local journalism, or we'd never find out stuff like this.




The two officers who used force against an 80 year old should probably be let go asap.   That or given gym memberships.


dave said:
The two officers who used force against an 80 year old should probably be let go asap.   That or given gym memberships.

 But ya don't know. We only got half the story. She might have been "making furtive movements" towards her waistband. Or there might be a video of the cops shouting at her, "Stop resisting," while they were physically abusing her.


You don't know.



dave said:
The two officers who used force against an 80 year old should probably be let go asap.   That or given gym memberships.

What should police do with a non-compliant octogenarian? Do we know what the circumstances that led to the force was and what force was used? 


Just want to get a sense before we fire the two officers. 




According to the above cited database, three officers are listed as applying a compliance hold on one 80 year old white female at 20:08 on March 29, 2016.  This is the only incident listed regarding a suspect over the age of 65. Likelihood is a mental health incident of some sort; but, we do not have any information as to the circumstances involved.  


joan_crystal said:
According to the above cited database, three officers are listed as applying a compliance hold on one 80 year old white female at 20:08 on March 29, 2016.  This is the only incident listed regarding a suspect over the age of 65. Likelihood is a mental health incident of some sort; but, we do not have any information as to the circumstances involved.  

 My first thoughts were similar when I read about a suspect over 65.  Medications, something related to dementia, or so many things related to aging could necessitate a call for help versus a criminal activity.


Jackson_Fusion said:


dave said:
The two officers who used force against an 80 year old should probably be let go asap.   That or given gym memberships.
What should police do with a non-compliant octogenarian? Do we know what the circumstances that led to the force was and what force was used? 


Just want to get a sense before we fire the two officers. 

agree that we shouldn't jump to conclusions.  I'm just wondering what kind of a brute this 80 year old woman was that it took two officers to subdue her. 

It's clear from the data that the MPD was using compliance holds at a rate above the NJ average.  So putting this incident in the larger context does raise questions about appropriateness of all their uses of such holds.


Yes, there needs to be more information. And we are influenced by videos of cops killing people and being charged and sometimes even convicted. There are many more public videos of cops using excessive force... who among us can forget Rodney King? Then there are convictions of cops falsifying evidence. And finally, evidence of cops lying to protect other cops.

This reminds me of the cop in Carteret who had many excessive force complaints filed against him. During a recent episode, one cop, referring to him, mentioned his surprise that he hadn't been charged for earlier offenses.

All this would cause me as a juror to give less credibility to officers testifying against defendants and even less credibility to officers defending against charges against themselves.


So when it comes down to the "Blue Wall of Silence," by standing behind the Blue Wall, cops only hurt themselves and their ability to perform their duties.


What does this mean to us? If nothing else, our taxes increase to pay for insurance for cop excesses.


At the least, random drug testing needs to be part of the labor contract if it is not so, now.


P.S., before you ask, I have lived in Maplewood since 1982. I have never been stopped by a Mpl. officer for anything. Never been given a summons for anything and have never had an unpleasant encounter with any of our officers. But some people have and if the encounters resulted in instances of excessive force, the persons involved need to find another job.



Formerlyjerseyjack said:


 All this would cause me as a juror to give less credibility to officers testifying against defendants and even less credibility to officers defending against charges against themselves.
 

That would be disqualifying to you as a potential juror, as would a predilection to believe the testimony of a police officer over that of a civilian.


-- agree. But then ya gotta worry about the peeps who feel this way but don't consider it an obstacle to their participation as a juror.


The Judge asks the potential jurors questions to ferret out bias. When I was called to jury duty and not picked I spoke to a woman who had been disqualified when she replied to a question by saying that she did not believe that any policeman would lie on the witness stand.

She said to me "Why would a Cop lie"?


Newspapers and magazines are now filled with police and prosecutorial corruption. Dozens of cases in Brooklyn now being thrown out. Dozens of D.U.I. cases in N.J. to be thrown out.


........and on, and on, and on.


Jackson_Fusion said:

What should police do with a non-compliant octogenarian? 

 

Assume said person is frightened.  Slow down.  Listen.  Use words.


This would go for kids too.  


From todays update on the top 25 towns:

https://www.nj.com/data/2018/12/the_top_25_police_departments_that_punch_kick_and_use_other_force_the_most_ranked.html

"DeVaul also said, however, that he’s taking steps to reduce the amount of force used. Juveniles account for more than a fifth of Maplewood’s uses of force, annually. (Statewide, they make up about 6.8 percent of all reports). DeVaul said he is instructing officers not to handcuff a juvenile unless they plan to completely follow through with an arrest and formal charge."


Um, why would you handcuff a kid you were NOT arresting and charging??


statistics are not useful unless we fully understand the terms used. If an 80 year old threatens to attack a cop or another civilian, police put that person in a compliance hold for everyone’s safety. A compliance hold is a far cry from being beaten over the head with a baton. 


Using statistics can be helpful or not. Remember police have more activity in areas that are gentrifying. Do your homework. Get involved with any groups that work to help people pushed out by gentrification or other financial pressure. 


Painting people with a broad brush after reading statistics is sometimes hazardous. If you have lived in NYC and never noticed the unbalanced policing, it is odd that you would get activated against police brutality in Maplewood.


Training for deescalation is always important along with understanding the dynamics of any situation. If you haven’t noticed excessive force, do some homework. Walk around and observe. Ask police and civilians questions and then form an opinion. 


Online conjecture about police excessive force is just that. We can make things better or worse or do nothing. Don’t assume there is a problem until you dissect the statistics. Statistics can be used to show anything and while they can be important, they can also be misleading. 


I’ve learned over time that the people who form opinions before knowing enough is exactly who the statistics target. Learn how to learn and find out what is really going on around you by interacting with police and civilians and ask questions. That’s my opinion. 


Forming opinions after reading statistics may not be the best way. Information is power. Seek it. Learn. Ask. Do. Make things better instead of just criticizing. It may help. Ask more questions before you judge.  


Being reactionary to things actually takes your power away. Stop being manipulated by statistics and seek actual information and understanding for best results. 


I am as surprised & disturbed as anyone, that Maplewood took #1 on this list.  However, if you read the whole article (incl the previous material in this series), then you realize that:

A.   There is no uniform standard (yet) for the incidents that make this list.  

According to Chief DeVaul, in Maplewood the form kicks in as soon as they place a hand on the individual they are arresting.  This is likely a higher standard than most of the other municipalities.

B.   The survey covers 2012 thru 2016.  

In other words, for Maplewood that was under the old management team.


Lastly, I will open this can of worms:  This survey is a strong argument for a state wide police department, instead of municipal departments + State Police + County Sheriff + PA Police, etc. etc.

With community officers based in the municipalities, they will still have the local contacts, but they will be part of the larger structure and held to uniform standards.  This will also prevent 'bad apples' from simply getting a new job in the next town over.


jfburch said:


Jackson_Fusion said:

What should police do with a non-compliant octogenarian? 
 
Assume said person is frightened.  Slow down.  Listen.  Use words.


This would go for kids too.  


From todays update on the top 25 towns:
https://www.nj.com/data/2018/12/the_top_25_police_departments_that_punch_kick_and_use_other_force_the_most_ranked.html
"DeVaul also said, however, that he’s taking steps to reduce the amount of force used. Juveniles account for more than a fifth of Maplewood’s uses of force, annually. (Statewide, they make up about 6.8 percent of all reports). DeVaul said he is instructing officers not to handcuff a juvenile unless they plan to completely follow through with an arrest and formal charge."


Um, why would you handcuff a kid you were NOT arresting and charging??

Slowing down and using words can get people hurt depending on the circumstances. All of this comes down to judgment. Cops that immediately gorilla out on someone are a problem. So are cops that allow situations to escalate without asserting control.


Having been cuffed myself while cops tried to figure out if I was the guy they were looking for one night wasn’t a top 10 favorite experience of mine but I understood it at the time and I understand it now. Cops come upon a situation and it’s not at all clear who they’re dealing with. In my case, I happened to be wearing a hat of the same color apparently as the guy they were looking for. Sucked but I understood. They explained, barely apologized (and really, why should they? They were acting in good faith) and we all went about our lives. 


If I had gotten the **** beaten out of me or something that’s obviously different. I did get pulled over for absolutely no reason once and had my car tossed & was told to empty my pockets. I said I legally didn’t have to and the cop told me I’d go to jail if I didn’t. No cuffs, no physical coercion, but a total violation of the rights of someone who was literally just pulling into a gas station.


Point is context matters and these reports have none. If there are things that need to be investigated, then investigate. But looking at numbers and drawing a conclusion is tough.


It could be that Maplewood cops are meticulous in properly characterizing their interactions, moreso than other departments. 


Whether or not a threat against officers was made is included in the database, for each incident.

And, yes, this is not the most recent data and I give the Maplewood Police department props for making changes ahead of this report (though, I think, largely in response to the 4th of July incidents).

Jackson_Fusion--your point is well taken, but I have witnessed several police/youth encounters around town that seemed to me at the time excessive and counterproductive.  And I am sure some of the social justice/racial equality groups have more to say on this.

Finally, on the octogenarian, if dementia or something like it was involved, it's worth noting that mentally ill people have a high rate of death when police are called, though families or neighbors may see no other choice.  But even when threats, and non-gun weapons are involved, shooting, let alone shooting to kill is seldom necessary.


I have dealt with relatives, who were 80 and older, with dementia.  When any human is agitated, they have enough strength to maybe warrant being touched by an officer, and our police department generates a form for every incident where any kind of touching occurs. I doubt a lot of departments are that forthcoming. Context and nuance are everything.


njadvancemedia is soliciting questions from people that pertain to their articles on use of force. They will use these question as basis for future articles.

forcereport@njadvancemedi

 I submitted several.


I think there is a large subset of the Maplewood population who are not at all surprised to read this report. It validates their experiences. 

I hope there is a real push to find out how the one officer with a super excessive record got promoted.


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