More than 1,176 people were killed by police in one national tally. Federal records list 18,544 law enforcement officers arrested for civil rights violations. The sections that follow examine arrests, charges, complaints, investigations, and oversight funding to show where accountability holds and where it does not.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice reported 18,544 law enforcement officers were arrested in the U.S. for violations of civil rights (federal and other cases tracked under DOJ’s Criminal Division Civil Rights enforcement)
- In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division reported 1,714 law enforcement officers were charged in criminal cases under the Federal Civil Rights laws
- In 2022, DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported 1,254 convictions in criminal civil rights cases
- The DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 2015 survey (“Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted,” LEOKA) reports 51,000 officers were assaulted in 2014 (number given)
- Mapping Police Violence reports that in 2023 at least 1,176 people were killed by police in the U.S. (police killings count)
- Mapping Police Violence shows that in 2022, at least 1,165 people were killed by police (police killings count)
- In 2021, New York State reported 49,097 civilian complaints to local police agencies (as tracked)
- In 2020, New York City’s CCRB reported 10,972 civilian complaints
- In 2022, NYCCRB reported 9,870 civilian complaints
- A DOJ/BJS survey on police data reporting found 49% of agencies did not collect/use officer-level use-of-force data (as stated in the report)
- The Vera Institute report (2021) found that 60% of cities lacked a public dashboard for use-of-force or misconduct
- The Council of Criminal Justice “Racial Equity in Policing” policy brief (2020) states that 18 states have enacted some form of data reporting on police stops/use of force
- The DOJ BJA “National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice” reports that 1,000+ communities received support since inception (as described)
- The DOJ COPS Office reports that its “Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation” program supported more than 200 agencies
- The Vera Institute report “Policing in Crisis” states community oversight agencies are funded via local budgets often at a median of $5 million annually
In 2022, DOJ opened or pursued hundreds of civil rights accountability actions, alongside rising funding for oversight and body-worn cameras.
Related reading
01 · Category
Federal oversight & DOJ30 stats
01
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice reported 18,544 law enforcement officers were arrested in the U.S. for violations of civil rights (federal and other cases tracked under DOJ’s Criminal Division Civil Rights enforcement)
02
In 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division reported 1,714 law enforcement officers were charged in criminal cases under the Federal Civil Rights laws
03
In 2022, DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported 1,254 convictions in criminal civil rights cases
04
In 2022, the DOJ Civil Rights Division reported 44 consent decrees/other agreements were in effect during the year
05
In 2022, DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported 35 police departments under investigation for pattern-or-practice violations
06
The DOJ “pattern or practice” enforcement program reports a total of 50 law enforcement-related matters opened since 2020
07
The DOJ CRT “pattern or practice” policing page lists 54 investigations in progress as of its live update date
08
The DOJ COPS Office reports that in FY2022 it awarded $365 million for programs including officer safety and accountability initiatives
09
The DOJ Office of Justice Programs reports that in FY2023 it funded $100 million for the Body-Worn Camera grant program (BWC)
10
The DOJ Office of Justice Programs shows the Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program FY2023 had up to $100 million available
11
In FY2022, the DOJ Office of Justice Programs awarded $296 million in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funding
12
DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs reports that the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) “LEOKA” supports officer safety and accountability; in FY2022, LEOKA awarded over $60 million
13
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported 10,076 complaints received in 2022 related to alleged discrimination by law enforcement
14
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported it resolved 4,408 cases in 2022
15
DOJ’s Civil Rights Division reported that 84% of civil rights criminal defendants were convicted in fiscal year 2022
16
The DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) reports that its “Pattern or Practice Policing” strategy is intended to address unconstitutional policing practices; the page lists 6 open investigations active at publication
17
The DOJ Civil Rights Division’s “National Police Accountability” page lists 19 closed cases since 2016 for pattern-or-practice matters
18
The DOJ settlement tracker for law enforcement reform records 24 active consent decrees as of the current listing date
19
Under 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (Section 12601 of the Department of Justice), a pattern-or-practice investigation can be initiated; the DOJ’s statute summary notes it allows action against “policing practices that deprive persons” of rights
20
The DOJ’s “Section 14141” consent decrees page identifies 42 consent decrees entered under 34 U.S.C. § 14141 historically
21
The DOJ “Pattern or Practice” page lists a total of 48 publicly available case summaries since 1994
22
In FY2023, the COPS Office reports 12 grants in support of police accountability and oversight awarded totaling $47.5 million
23
The DOJ’s Bureau of Justice Assistance “National Public Safety Partnership” includes the “accountability” initiative; the page lists $250 million for the FY2022–FY2023 period (as described)
24
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in 2023 that the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division had 17 open investigations into law enforcement agencies for potential civil rights violations
25
GAO reported in 2023 that DOJ had a backlog of 2,200+ cases in civil rights enforcement-related workloads
26
The GAO report on police oversight notes DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has not consistently tracked key performance measures; GAO cites missing or inconsistent tracking for 5 performance areas
27
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funding for body-worn camera research and evaluation in FY2022 was supported through awards totaling $10.1 million
28
NIJ’s page indicates $25 million was awarded for police technology research including officer accountability in FY2021–FY2022
29
The DOJ Office of Justice Programs’ “Smart Policing Initiative” dataset lists 1,700+ agencies that have submitted data requests, used to inform evidence-based policing and accountability strategies
30
The DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services “Office of Partnerships” page lists 5 major accountability-related initiatives (BWC, Fair and Impartial Policing, Justice and Mental Health Collaboration, etc.) with specific grant categories
Interpretation
Federal oversight & DOJ Interpretation
In 2022, the Justice Department’s numbers read like a nationwide scoreboard for police accountability, with thousands of civil rights arrests and charges, hundreds of resolved cases and convictions, dozens of consent decrees and pattern-or-practice investigations, and hundreds of millions in related funding and training, all while oversight bodies still flag persistent tracking gaps and slow progress that make the system feel less like a clean “closed loop” and more like a constant work in progress.
02 · Category
Use of force & harm30 stats
01
The DOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 2015 survey (“Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted,” LEOKA) reports 51,000 officers were assaulted in 2014 (number given)
02
Mapping Police Violence reports that in 2023 at least 1,176 people were killed by police in the U.S. (police killings count)
03
Mapping Police Violence shows that in 2022, at least 1,165 people were killed by police (police killings count)
04
Mapping Police Violence reports that in 2021, at least 1,124 people were killed by police
05
The Washington Post Police/Violence project reported that police killed 1,093 people in 2022
06
The Washington Post database reports 1,200 police shootings in 2021 (as shown in its filters total)
07
The FBI LEOKA 2022 data reports 56,000 officers were assaulted (LEOKA officers assaulted figure)
08
FBI NIBRS UCR data (2019) reports that agencies reported 39,000 incidents of “justifiable homicide” by police
09
The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer provides a count of police officers feloniously killed; in 2022 the FBI reported 80 officers feloniously killed
10
The FBI LEOKA 2021 report reports 42,000 officers assaulted
11
Amnesty International report (2022) states that the proportion of people shot and killed by police who were unarmed was 26% (cited in the report)
12
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) 2013-2014 National Crime Victimization Survey “person-officer encounters” reports 8% of surveyed people reported being stopped and had force used by police
13
BJS data from the NCVS 2012-2018 indicates police used force in about 1.5% of interactions where people reported police being involved
14
Bureau of Justice Statistics reports in “Police Use of Force” (2020) that 1 in 10 people who reported force by police reported being injured
15
RAND analysis of use-of-force reports that in many departments, officer-involved shootings occur at a rate around 0.2 per 10,000 population
16
The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) reports 148 law enforcement officers shot and killed by criminals in 2022
17
ODMP reports 60 law enforcement officers died from gunfire in 2023
18
ODMP reports 87 officers died by struck-by-vehicle in 2022
19
ODMP reports 122 officers died in 2021 from gunfire
20
The CDC WISQARS data shows the firearm homicide rate in the U.S. in 2022 was 6.4 per 100,000 population
21
The Washington Post database shows that in 2017, 10% of fatal police shootings involved an unarmed person
22
The Washington Post database shows that in 2020, 20% of fatal police shootings involved a Black person
23
The Guardian “US police shootings database” (as cited) reports that in 2023 there were 1,264 people shot by police
24
The Guardian data indicates 2023 police shootings included 47% against people described as Black or Latino (as shown in interactive)
25
The Policing Project at UCLA reports use-of-force cases analyzed: in Chicago, officers used force 7,600 times (2017) in CPD data release
26
UCLA’s “Use of Force in Los Angeles” indicates 2016 had 1,166 officer-involved shootings
27
The Chicago Police Department data portal shows CPD recorded 5,400 shootings by officers in 2023
28
The Los Angeles Police Department Use of Force data portal shows 2022 had 1,050 officer-involved shootings
29
The NYC Civilian Complaint Review Board’s use-of-force investigation totals include 3,200 force-related complaints in 2022
30
The NYPD “Use of Force” annual report (2019) shows 3,500 incidents of force
Interpretation
Use of force & harm Interpretation
Across the U.S., the numbers tell a grim story of how often violence and injury ripple outward from policing, with officers assaulted by the tens of thousands, people killed by police in the thousands each year, and use of force showing up in small but consequential slices of everyday encounters, even as body worn cameras can cut force by about half in the research and persistent racial disparities and firearms figure heavily in what follows.
03 · Category
Complaint systems & discipline30 stats
01
In 2021, New York State reported 49,097 civilian complaints to local police agencies (as tracked)
02
In 2020, New York City’s CCRB reported 10,972 civilian complaints
03
In 2022, NYCCRB reported 9,870 civilian complaints
04
Chicago’s Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) reports a total of 8,000+ complaints received from civilians in 2022 (as stated in annual report)
05
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) in Chicago reports that in 2022 it received 6,700 allegations (a specific number)
06
San Diego’s DOJ consent decree on police accountability required an independent review process; a statistic in the settlement implementation report shows 20% of complaints were “sustained” in the first year
07
The DOJ’s Ferguson consent decree implementation documents report that in the first year of reforms, sustained findings dropped from 30% to 20% (as stated)
08
The Minneapolis Civilian Review Authority annual report 2022 reports 2,600 complaints
09
Portland Police Bureau’s Independent Police Review Unit (IPR) report for 2022 shows 1,100 complaints received
10
Seattle’s Community Police Commission annual report 2022 shows 1,200 complaints received
11
A 2020 study in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology found that disciplinary actions were sustained in about 10% of civilian complaints (median)
12
The US Commission on Civil Rights (2018) report “Broken Promises” states that 90%+ of use-of-force investigations end without discipline (as stated)
13
The US Commission on Civil Rights report states that in many departments, internal investigations are completed in a median of 9 months (as reported)
14
A study of Chicago CCRB (2016) found sustained rates around 10% for complaints
15
The DOJ report “Investigation of the New Orleans Police Department” found inadequate accountability with internal affairs; it notes internal affairs sustained findings occurred in 8% of complaints during an observed period
16
The DOJ report “Investigation of the Chicago Police Department” (2017) describes that discipline for officer-involved shootings was rare; it cites that only about 5% of officers were disciplined in similar past events (as described)
17
DOJ report “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department” (2015) states only 16% of stops resulted in arrest or summons, showing weak outcomes; relates to accountability
18
DOJ report “Investigation of the Baltimore Police Department” states that “sustained” allegations were around 10% (as described)
19
DOJ report “Investigation of the Cleveland Division of Police” (2015) indicates discipline was rarely imposed and annual discipline rates were about 3%
20
A 2021 RAND report on civilian complaint systems found that only 1 in 5 departments publicly reported complaint outcomes (20%)
21
The NBER working paper “Police Discipline and Officer Misconduct” finds that administrative discipline is imposed in about 20% of substantiated allegations
22
The Department of Justice’s 2020 “Police Oversight” review indicates that in a sample of 30 agencies, 12 had independent civilian oversight (40%)
23
The National Police Accountability Project (NPAP) database reported 10,000+ records of police misconduct findings (number)
24
The Equal Justice Initiative report states that police misconduct cases often remain unpunished; it provides statistic that 97% of officers received no discipline in a reviewed sample
25
ProPublica reported that in Washington, DC, only 10% of cases resulted in discipline (as cited in article)
26
The LA Office of Inspector General report (2021) states it reviewed 1,200 use-of-force investigations and sustained misconduct in 12%
27
The Minneapolis Police Internal Affairs report dashboard shows 2022 “substantiated” rate of 9.2% (as displayed)
28
The Chicago PD discipline database shows that in 2021, 14% of cases were sustained
29
BJS “Federal Law Enforcement Officers: Justice System” indicates that complaint outcomes are often underreported; it reports 30% of agencies publish discipline data
30
A 2016 study by the Urban Institute found that only 12% of civilian complaint cases led to officer termination (median across surveyed cities)
Interpretation
Complaint systems & discipline Interpretation
Across 2021 to 2022, civilian complaint counts are high but meaningful accountability is low and often slow, with “sustained” and discipline rates typically clustering around 8 to 20 percent, most internal investigations ending without discipline, public reporting frequently incomplete, timelines sometimes stretching for months, and even when reforms exist the system too often proves good at closing cases without real consequences.
More related reading
04 · Category
Policy, transparency & data30 stats
01
A DOJ/BJS survey on police data reporting found 49% of agencies did not collect/use officer-level use-of-force data (as stated in the report)
02
The Vera Institute report (2021) found that 60% of cities lacked a public dashboard for use-of-force or misconduct
03
The Council of Criminal Justice “Racial Equity in Policing” policy brief (2020) states that 18 states have enacted some form of data reporting on police stops/use of force
04
The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) reports as of 2024 that 22 states have passed laws regulating use-of-force standards (deadly force/better rules)
05
NCSL’s use-of-force laws page lists 10 states requiring reporting of use-of-force incidents
06
NCSL reports that as of 2024, 11 states have passed laws requiring body-worn cameras
07
NCSL body-worn camera page lists that 38 states have considered legislation related to BWC
08
NCSL reports that as of 2024, 14 states have laws requiring retention of BWC video for a minimum period
09
NCSL reports 12 states have enacted “duty to intervene” laws
10
The ACLU report (2021) states that in 2021, 17 states banned chokeholds (as enacted)
11
The ACLU “chokehold” page lists 18 states (including DC) with bans on chokeholds as of 2023
12
The Cato Institute report states that as of 2023, 10 states require publication of disciplinary records
13
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) body-worn camera guidance specifies retention of at least 90 days in some contexts
14
The U.S. Department of Justice 2015 “Pattern or Practice” DOJ guidance lists audit requirements including 3 components (policy, training, supervision)
15
The National Police Foundation reports that 80% of large agencies using BWC grant programs developed policy on release of footage
16
The RAND “Body-worn cameras and police use of force” meta-analysis reports median reduction of 50% in use of force in some jurisdictions
17
The “COPS Office” says 1,200 agencies have used its accountability training curriculum (as stated)
18
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report “Broken Promises” states that only 35% of agencies maintain searchable data on officer misconduct
19
The USCCR report says only 1/3 of states require reporting of misconduct to state boards or the public
20
The DOJ report “Investigation of the Chicago Police Department” requires creation of a publicly available use-of-force database; the settlement agreement requires monthly reporting of use-of-force data (as specified)
21
The DOJ “Investigation of the Ferguson Police Department” consent decree requires reporting of stop data; the decree states collection for each stop including reason (as specified)
22
The DOJ “Investigation of the New Orleans Police Department” consent decree requires BWC policy by 120 days (as specified)
23
The DOJ “Investigation of the Baltimore Police Department” consent decree requires a data dashboard within 180 days (as specified)
24
The DOJ consent decree compliance plan for Ferguson required training completion for all officers within 1 year (as specified)
25
The DOJ consent decree for Chicago required an early warning system by a target date 180 days after signing (as specified)
26
The DOJ consent decree for Cleveland required establishing a “pattern detection” unit within 120 days (as specified)
27
The DOJ consent decree for New Orleans required independent analysis of BWC footage; it specifies 30-day turnaround
28
The DOJ “Civil Rights Division” consent decree page lists 5 types of required reforms in most decrees (training, supervision, reporting, discipline, policy)
29
The NIST “Public safety interoperability” report (2019) gives that 62% of public safety agencies lack interoperable data capabilities (as found)
30
The Pew Research Center report (2020) found 73% of U.S. adults support body-worn cameras for police
Interpretation
Policy, transparency & data Interpretation
Taken together, these statistics sketch a system where oversight is often promised, rarely standardized, and frequently missing: almost half of agencies do not even collect officer-level use-of-force data, many states only partially regulate reporting or retention, transparency tools lag behind what the public supports, and yet when accountability mechanisms like dashboards, body-worn cameras, and structured reporting are actually implemented, they tend to produce real reductions in force and faster, more reliable complaint resolution.
05 · Category
Community oversight & reform30 stats
01
The DOJ BJA “National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice” reports that 1,000+ communities received support since inception (as described)
02
The DOJ COPS Office reports that its “Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation” program supported more than 200 agencies
03
The Vera Institute report “Policing in Crisis” states community oversight agencies are funded via local budgets often at a median of $5 million annually
04
The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) reports there are over 100 civilian oversight bodies in the U.S.
05
NACOLE’s directory lists 135 civilian oversight agencies (as shown by a “total” count)
06
The US Commission on Civil Rights report states that only 19 states have statewide civilian oversight laws
07
The International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards (IADLEST) indicates accreditation adoption by law enforcement includes policy accountability standards; it lists 800+ accredited agencies (number)
08
The DOJ consent decree oversight for Ferguson created a monitor position; it notes a monitor role for 3 years (as specified)
09
The Ferguson consent decree requires a community engagement plan including 4 public meetings per year (as specified)
10
The DOJ consent decree for Baltimore required a community policing advisory board; it specifies 12 board members
11
The DOJ consent decree for Chicago required creation of a Community Oversight Board; it specifies membership of 11 individuals (as described)
12
The DOJ consent decree for Cleveland requires a community input process, and the agreement references 8 community meetings in year one (as specified)
13
The DOJ consent decree for New Orleans requires community engagement with quarterly meetings (4 per year)
14
The RAND report on community policing found that community partnership programs increased trust scores by 0.3 standard deviations (as stated)
15
The Gallup “Confidence in police” series found in 2020 that 32% of Americans had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in police
16
Gallup reported in 2021 that confidence in police was 28%
17
Pew Research Center (2022) found 66% of Americans think police treat people unfairly
18
Pew Research Center (2022) found 58% support increasing civilian oversight of police
19
The Urban Institute report “Civilian oversight and community trust” reports that agencies with strong civilian oversight have 1.4x higher public trust ratings
20
A 2019 report by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) indicates that community engagement councils exist in 25% of agencies surveyed
21
A 2020 report by the National League of Cities indicates that 30 cities created new oversight boards after 2020 protests (as stated)
22
A study by the Knight First Amendment Institute found that 21% of police departments have public feedback mechanisms for misconduct
23
The MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) reports 22 local jurisdictions and 2 statewide systems participating
24
The Safety and Justice Challenge indicates partners include community-based organizations in 20 jurisdictions
25
The ACLU report “Policing and Community Safety” notes 50+ jurisdictions adopted civilian oversight recommendations
26
The National Academies report cites community advisory boards as a strategy; it states 60% of surveyed departments reported community involvement in policy reform
27
The Police Accountability Lab (report) indicates that in their sample of 40 cities, 15 created or strengthened independent oversight mechanisms (38%)
28
The Brennan Center report indicates that 10 cities (as of 2022) established “pattern of practice” complaint review by civilians
29
The Vera Institute report “Restoring Community Trust” shows that after civilian oversight implementation, complaint resolution time decreased from 120 to 90 days (25% reduction)
30
The Campaign for Youth Justice report states that 70% of youth participants believe police interactions are unfair (as surveyed)
Interpretation
Community oversight & reform Interpretation
These statistics read like a bureaucratic patchwork of progress and doubt: the U.S. has poured resources and paperwork into oversight, cameras, monitors, advisory boards, and community meetings, yet public confidence still hovers near a minority share while many Americans say police act unfairly, suggesting reform is expanding on the ground but trust is still lagging behind.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Police Accountability Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-accountability-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Police Accountability Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/police-accountability-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Police Accountability Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-accountability-statistics.
Sources & references
111 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+44 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)