2022 Use of Force Year-End Review

Los Angeles: Today, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Board of Police Commissioners was presented with the LAPD’s 2022 Use of Force Year-End Review. In this report, you will find extensive statistical data pertaining to both Categorical and Non-Categorical Uses of Force, including a historical comparison and trends to the preceding four years. Below you will find some key takeaways from the report as well as a link to the full report:

USE OF FORCE REPORT DATA

Categorical Use of Force Incidents

Categorical Use of Force (CUOF) incidents include several categories, with the most common being officer-involved shootings. The year 2022 saw several notable decreases in CUOF data with some key selections provided below:

• In 2022, there were 53 categorical use of force (CUOF) incidents, which was a 17 percent decrease compared to 2021.

• In 2022, there were 31 OIS incidents, which was a 16 percent decrease compared to the 37 OIS incidents in 2021.

Note: The period between 2018 and 2022 has been the lowest five-year period of OIS incidents in the last three-plus decades.

• Law Enforcement Related Injury incidents, In-Custody Deaths, Carotid Restraint Control Holds, and Unintentional Discharges were also down in 2022.

• In 2022, 58 percent of suspects in OIS incidents were armed with firearms, compared to only 41 percent in 2021.

• In 2022, there was an overall 27 percent decrease in OIS incidents involving subjects with perceived mental illness and a 30 percent decrease in OIS incidents involving subjects experiencing homelessness.

Non-Categorical Use of Force Incidents

A Non-Categorical Use of Force (NCUOF) includes any application of force by an officer that does not meet the definition of a Categorical Use of Force. These incidents predominantly involve minor applications of force including twist locks, leg sweeps, and pushes, as well as any applications of less-lethal force options such as the TASER, the 40mm Less-Lethal Launcher, and the beanbag shotgun. Within the following points, you will find some key selections from the extensive NCUOF data provided in the 2022 Use of Force Year-End Review:

• In 2022, there were 2,230 NCUOF incidents, which was a one percent decrease compared to 2021.

The 2,230 NCUOF incidents consisted of 126,736 applications of various force options.

Of the 126,736 various applications of force options, there were 361 applications of the TASER in 2022, which was an 18 percent decrease compared to 2021.

In 2022, there were 432 TASER activations in which 219, or 51 percent, were effective.

• In 2022, 28 percent of all NCUOF incidents involved a subject perceived to be experiencing a mental health crisis while 35 percent of all NCUOF incidents involved a subject experiencing homelessness.

Training Efforts

• The LAPD has continued to leverage its Mental Health Intervention Training, incorporation of new de-escalation training courses, Critical Thinking and Force Options (CTFO), updated Virtual Reality Training, and Active Bystandership in Law Enforcement (ABLE) training to emphasize the Department’s guiding principle of reverence for human life, the use of de-escalation as a means to mitigate the need for lethal force, and strengthen public trust.

Every year, the LAPD publishes the Use of Force Year-End Review with the goal of transparency and accountability. The report offers the public and our community members the opportunity to explore our statistics. The LAPD continues to be a leader in innovative practices, policies, technologies, and approaches to community engagement.

To view the complete report, please visit:
https://lapdonlinestrgeacc.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/lapdonlinemedia/2022-Year-End-Review.pdf