Cohort 2024
Kilómetro Cero
Analyzing Police Use-of-Force Data to Advocate for Nonpunitive Crisis Intervention
San Juan, PR
In 2022, Kilómetro Cero published Licencia para Matar (“License to Kill”) (PDF), the first report to statistically explore inequitable and discriminatory patterns in police killings in Puerto Rico. Among other findings, Kilómetro Cero found that people who live in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods are more likely to die from a police intervention than people who live in predominantly White neighborhoods. Kilómetro Cero also operates Evidencia la Violencia, a community-based data platform documenting police violence and discriminatory or excessive interactions with civilians. Initial analysis of this database has yet to indicate whether there are racial disparities and violent outcomes for people experiencing mental health crises.
With Catalyst Grant funding, Kilómetro Cero will analyze Evidencia la Violencia alongside its use-of-force database (compiled from public police data) to examine the use of force (specifically tasers) in addressing mental health crisis interventions in predominantly Black and Brown communities. These analyses will be paired with storytelling and research gathered on crisis intervention strategies to help guide Kilómetro Cero’s advocacy around alternative responses.
Kilómetro Cero was also a Catalyst awardee in 2022. Read about its 2022 project, The Data Inside: What Can We Learn from Official Police Use of Force Data.
