What should law enforcement agencies focus on when assessing officers' use of force?

Law enforcement agencies should prioritize consistency with established policies and procedures when assessing officers' use of force. This focus is crucial because the use of force must align with specific guidelines set by the agency to ensure accountability, transparency, and adherence to the law. Established policies provide a framework that officers are trained to follow, which helps in making informed and lawful decisions during high-stress situations.

By evaluating use of force incidents against these policies, agencies can identify whether an officer acted appropriately according to the rules of engagement, the circumstances of the situation, and the principles of proportionality and necessity. This not only enhances public trust but also protects the agency legally and contributes to better training protocols based on observed issues or trends in officer behavior.

Other options may include relevant aspects of policing, but they do not encompass the comprehensive evaluation that aligning actions with established policies provides. For instance, while the willingness to retreat is an essential aspect of de-escalation tactics, it is more of a situational consideration rather than a systematic evaluative criterion. Similarly, focusing solely on arrest numbers may overlook the appropriateness of force used during those arrests, and evaluating physical training does not account for the real-world decisions made in the field.