Cohort 2022

Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio

Hamilton County Use-of-Force Data Project 

Hamilton County, OH 

Data on police use of force are often difficult to capture and use, largely because there are inconsistencies in reporting requirements and the data collection methods that law enforcement agencies across the country use vary. Stakeholders in Hamilton County, Ohio, are among many facing this challenge. The sheriff’s office is one of 45 law enforcement agencies in the county and has jurisdiction over 207 square miles. It does not record use-of-force data electronically, limiting the data’s usability and the office’s capacity to disaggregate the data by demographics such as race, ethnicity, and gender, resulting in a lack of information essential for reform.

To address this challenge, the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio’s Center for Social Justice will implement its use-of-force data project and work with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to collect, organize, analyze, and publish disaggregated data on use-of-force incidents throughout the county. The goal of the project is twofold: (1) increase transparency in law enforcement data in Hamilton County, and (2) identify law enforcement practices in Hamilton County that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities and disproportionate police violence in communities of color. In line with these goals, the center will collaborate with the sheriff’s office to identify gaps in the agency’s data collection and input the missing data into a new data system, clean and analyze the use-of-force data, prepare the data for presentation on the agency’s new website, and publish the data in a format community members can easily access. The data will be searchable by demographic information for the officers involved and the people they used force against. The center will also develop a final report with its findings and publish the report on the website.