Police Ombuds

Spokane Police Department Use of Force Analysis

To make comprehensive use of force data available to the public and build community trust, the Office of the Police Ombuds in collaboration with Spokane Police Department, has contracted with Police Strategies LLC to conduct an extensive analysis of the Spokane Police Department's use of force incidents occurring from 2013 to 2021. This analysis will be updated annually.

• A report was published with force data from 2013 to 2021. Download Report (PDF 1.3 MB)

Below are four interactive dashboards, which allow you to query the Spokane Police Department's use of force data. By clicking on any of the elements of a dashboard, the remaining charts, graphs, and maps will be changed to match that element. For example, by clicking on the Riverside Neighborhood portion of the dashboard, the other charts on that dashboard will change to display the results for Riverside only. Holding down the Ctrl button allows you to select and filter multiple data elements at the same time. To deselect an element, click on the element again or click on the white area just outside the graph or chart. Some boxes have a [±] sign near the bottom of the box; when you click on the [±] sign, additional information is provided to the user.

The dashboards can also be changed using the filters on the left side. Any combination of subject characteristics, year and neighborhood can be selected. These filters may also be combined with filter elements on individual graphs and charts.

If you hover the cursor over an element of a dashboard, you will receive additional information regarding that element. In some cases, you will see % of Total: X% vs. Y%. The X% is the percentage of uses of force for the sample you have selected. The Y% is the percentage of all uses of force for the Department. For example, if you select Riverside Neighborhood and then hover over the Officer Initiated section of Reason for Contact pie chart, you will see the following: % of Total: 22% vs. 15%. This means 22% of uses of force in Riverside were officer‑initiated stops compared to 15% for the entire city.

Questions or suggestions? Please contact us at 509.625.6742 or opo@spokanecity.org.