Trends in the use of deadly force by police

Research in the area of deadly force by police has tended to focus upon or more of the following issues: (1) trends, (2) legal and/or policy implications, (3) the appropriateness of police usage, and (4) the apparent underreporting of police homicides. This paper examines police interventions relative to possible danger indicators in the working environment of police officers. It would appear for the period in question, 1964 to 1974, that police decreasingly used deadly force. A brief discussion concerning the possible reasons for this decline is provided.