In 2018 the Phoenix Police Department saw a record breaking number of police shootings. Startled by the increase, the Phoenix police chief commissioned a report to try understanding why these shootings were happening. Dr. Jeff Rojek and Dr. Scott Wolfe were part of a team of researchers who put together the report for the Phoenix Police Department.
The team identified multiple factors that contributed to the rise in police shootings. Some of the factors included an increase in armed assaults on officers, tense community relations, and the number of officers responding to calls without backup. Although researchers admit that their findings were limited due to the six month timeline they were given to complete the report, they were able to make nine recommendations that covered short term, medium term, and long term goals, including: documenting every instance of an officer pointing a gun at a person, improving training, increasing community engagement, and studying mental-health issues.
To read the full report, click here.