Police firearm use by country

The use of firearms by police forces varies widely across the world, in part due to differences in gun use policy, civilian firearm laws, and recording of police activity. Police may require that officers use warning shots before aiming on-target, officers may need to make verbal warnings before using their firearms, and officers may be prohibited from carrying weapons while performing tasks such as highway patrol where gun use is not expected.

Unarmed police forces

In some countries including the Republic of Ireland, Norway, Iceland, and New Zealand police do not carry firearms unless the situation is expected to involve gunfire from the opposing force. A survey conducted in the United Kingdom in 2004 found that 47% of citizens supported arming all police while 48% were opposed to the idea.[1]

Australia

The Australian police forces is monitored by the Australian Institute of Criminology, which has recorded police shooting deaths since 1989. Police in Australia routinely wear firearms which are personally issued to them. All fatal police shootings are subject to a mandatory coronial inquest. A 2013 review by the Australian Institute of Criminology found that 42% of victims of fatal police shootings had a mental illness.[2] A more recent history of deaths by police shootings is tabulated below.

2000/12001/22002/32003/42004/52005/62006/72007/82008/92009/102010/112011/122012/13
People killed13257633353641
1.^ Data provided by the Australian Institute of Criminology[3]

Austria

Police in Austria are monitored by the Austrian Interior Ministry. Since 2006 the records of police firearm use have been expanded to show whether or not a round was targeted at people.

200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011
Rounds discharged1331051721771431211471071201117481
Rounds targeted at people------966744
Minor injuries11-1211111000
Major injuries63-11443565331
People killed401001002301
1.^ 10 injuries, severity not specified.

Data reported on by Heute[4]

Denmark

Since 1965 all Danish police officers have carried a police pistol when performing their duties. Danish police used Walther PPK 7.65 mm as the standard pistol until 2000, and then the Heckler & Koch USP 9 mm was introduced. In 2008 police began to carry pepper spray in addition to their firearm.

The appropriate use of firearms is described in the Act on Police Activities regulations, section 16 and 17 is translated into English in.[5]

16. (1) The police may use force only if necessary and justified and only by such means and to such extent as are reasonable relative to the interest which the police seek to protect. Any assessment of the justifiability of such force must also take into account whether the use of force involves any risk of bodily harm to third parties.

(2) Force must be used as considerately as possible under the circumstances and so as to minimise any bodily harm.

17. (1) Firearms may only be used:

(i) to avert an on-going or imminent dangerous assault on a person; (ii) to avert other imminent danger to the lives of persons or of such persons incurring grievous bodily harm […] (iv) to secure the apprehension of persons who have or are suspected on reasonable grounds of having commenced or committed a dangerous assault on another person unless the risk that such persons will commit another such assault is deemed not to exist;

(2) Before the police fire shots involving a risk of harm to a person, the person must be informed in so far as possible, first by shouted warnings and then by warning shots, that the police intend to fire if police orders are not observed. It must also be ensured, in so far as possible, that the person is able to observe the order.

(3) In case of an obvious risk of hitting third parties, shots may only be fired as a last resort […]

(5) If police shooting has caused harm to a person, the person must immediately be examined by a doctor.

In Denmark the police use of weapons is recorded by the police department. The police department classifies tear gas as the use of a firearm. In 2006 the death of four people by police shootings prompted an investigation into the use of firearms by the Danish police force from 1996 to 2006. The investigation found no significant trends of increased firearms use by the police.[5]

19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006
Cases of firearm use222276196216234242269305269243253
Reports of shots fired1151871011221710181520
Reports of shots aimed at civilians27745312734211
People hit734337533211
People wounded63433432327
People killed10000321004
1.^ Includes warning shots and tear gas fired.
2.^ Includes shots aimed at vehicle tyres.

More recent figures have been published separately in a different format.[6]

200920102011201220132014
Cases of firearm use361305277260323315
Rounds discharged323986495853
Warning shots1164961217

Finland

Police in Finland have access to weapons including a Glock 17, Heckler & Koch MP5, Taser and pepper spray. The use of firearms is recorded by the Police College and the Finnish ministry of the Interior.

20032004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Incidents firearms were used3926362741443240343927
Firearm was threatened3123252028393032243319
Rounds fired103117953134876
Warning shots103743325102
People killed00000011000
People wounded00333212114

Data reported on by YLE uutiset[7]

France

In France the police are regularly armed, however, there is no official record of how frequently firearms are used.[8] An independent group A Toutes Les Victimes has tracked the number of deaths and injuries by police which have been published in the media since 2005.

20052006200720082009201020112012
Number of deaths16101911691014
Number of injuries137275404
1^ Unofficial data from the A Toutes Les Victimes census[9]

Germany

German police forces routinely carry weapons. Police firearm statistics dating back to 1996 are available,[10] a summary of recent years is tabulated below.

201020112012201320142015
Rounds discharged for people106115104100133101
Warning shots594954416548
Rounds which missed people103014172213
Rounds which hit people373636424640
Injuries231520203122
Deaths8688710

Iceland

Icelandic police do not regularly carry firearms. In 2013 the first fatal police shooting took place where one man was killed. As of July 2016 this remains the only fatal police shooting since Iceland became an independent republic in 1944.[11]

Ireland

Jamaica

The Jamaica Constabulary Force's use of lethal force has been monitored by Amnesty International. From 1983 to 2000 the Jamaican police force has been reported to kill between 121 and 355 people each year with an average of 171 deaths.[12] A subsequent report by Amnesty USA shows that from 2000 to 2015 between 101 and 307 people were killed each year with an average of 192 deaths.[13] In 2010 the Independent Commission of Investigations (Indecom) was established to tackle the frequent use of lethal force which has made progress towards reducing the problem.[14]

Netherlands

Law enforcement in the Netherlands regularly carry firearms, in every incident where a firearm round hits a person there is an investigation conducted to determine if the use of a firearm was justified. The results of the investigations are made publicly available, the cases for each year are tabulated.

Data from firearms use investigations[15]

2009201020112012201320142015
Number of incidents30333324302523
People wounded29313119292427
People killed0225533

New Zealand

The New Zealand Police do not routinely carry firearms. When force is used (excluding handcuffs) a tactical operations report is filed. Use of tactical options is published by the police force.[16]

A summary of tactical options used in 2010–2014 was published in 2015. In 33,198 events over the four-year period, firearms were drawn 1,422 times, resulting in 5 injuries.[17] Tactical operations resulting in fatalities are not recorded in the database.

Since 1916, New Zealand Police have used lethal force 40 times.

Norway

The Norwegian Police Service only carry firearms in response to specific situations. The use of firearms is recorded by the police department which publishes detailed statistics on the annual use of firearms. The information presented in the 2014 report is detailed in the table below.[18]

2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
Firearm use threatened70726752756555587566585842
Rounds discharged1153302361332
Total71737255786557618167616144
People killed0001100000000
People wounded1-51101241020
Incidents of armed police---2666--21702358-2711--2954

South Africa

The South African Police Service is monitored by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) which releases an annual report on the performance indicators of police activity. The IPID publishes deaths as a results of police action and deaths in police custody. Use of firearms forms the majority of the killings by police; shootings by police are all classified under deaths as a result of police action.

2012/13[19]2013/14[20]2014/15[21]2015/16[22]
Firearm related incidents of death1342317322299
Firearm related deaths1-336--
Total incidents of death as a result of police action431390396366
Total deaths as a result of police action485409423400
1^ Includes all categories of deaths as a result of police action with labels "Shot with service firearm", "Shot with police firearm" and "Negligent handling of a firearm leading to death". Excludes suicides.

Sweden

The Swedish Police Authority always carry firearms when on public duty. The standard weapon issued to officers is the SIG Sauer P226. The police authority report that normally police will threaten to use their weapon but do not discharge it, this happens about 200 times per year. In a typical year the police shoot 20 warning shots aimed at people or vehicles.[23] An investigation reviewing the use of weapons by police details the firearm use from 2003 to 2014.[24]

200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
Incidents involving shots for effect1116981020111329171325
Incidents involving warning shots91593121611832141614

Only the most serious use of violence is counted, if an incident involves both warning shots and shots for effect it is only counted in the shots for effect section.

United Kingdom

The police forces in the United Kingdom are managed by different bodies and as such they have different standards for firearms usage. Police in Northern Ireland regularly carry firearms whereas the police in Scotland, England and Wales do not.

England and Wales

The police force in England and Wales do not routinely carry firearms, a 2006 poll of 47,328 members of the Police Federation of England and Wales found that 82% do not want officers to be routinely armed while on duty.[1] The UK home office reports annual statistics on the use of firearms by police forces. The use of firearms is recorded by the police department which publishes detailed statistics on the annual use of firearms dating back to 2003. One report published figures for 2003-2013,[25] later years are published individually.[26] While the Home Office monitors the use of police equipment the Independent Police Complaints Commission monitors the fatalities of people due to police contact.

2003/42004/52005/62006/72007/82008/92009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16
Operations involving armed police116,65715,98118,89118,00519,59516,45614,21813,49612,55010,99614,93914,68514,753
Operations involving armed response vehicles113,21813,13714,35514,52714,97219,92817,06816,77414,26113,11612,13512,28712,471
Authorised firearms officers16,0966,2436,5846,7286,7806,9066,9796,6536,7566,0915,8645,6475,639
Incidents where firearms were discharged14593756453467
Incidents of fatalities2-351432220013
People killed2-351532220013
1.^ Data provided by the UK Home Office.
2.^ Data provided by the Independent Police Complaints Commission[27]

Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland publish an annual report on the police use of force which lists the frequency that firearms were drawn and fired. However, this report does not list the injuries or deaths resulting from firearms use.

2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16
Firearm drawn or pointed302360364419265358
Firearm discharged301001

Data published by the Police Service of Northern Ireland.[28]

United States

There is no consistent recording of firearms use across all states, some bodies such as the New York Police Department (NYPD) report on firearms discharge. In 2015 NYPD reported a record low of eight deaths as well as fifteen injuries caused by police firearms discharge.[29]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation publish the number of justified homicides by law enforcement.

In response to the lack of published data, British newspaper The Guardian launched The Counted- a program to record the number of fatal police shootings throughout the United States. The Guardian reports that 1146 people were killed in 2015 and 1092 people in 2016.

2010201120122013201420152016
Justifiable homicide1396401423467451441-
Number of deaths2-----11461092
Number of deaths3-----991963
1.^ Justifiable homicides recorded by the FBI[30][31]
2.^ The Counted. Unofficial figures based on media reports[32]
3.^ Fatal Force. Unofficial figures based on media reports[33][34]

References

  1. 1 2 "Why British police don't have guns". BBC. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  2. ↑ "Research in Practice: Police shootings of people with a mental illness" (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "Deaths in custody in Australia: National Deaths in Custody Program 2011–12 and 2012–13" (PDF). Australian Institute of Criminology. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Polizei gab im Vorjahr 81 Schüsse ab - nur 4 trafen". Heute. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  5. 1 2 "THE USE OF POLICE FIREARMS IN DENMARK" (PDF). Politiet. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "Politiets brug af magtmidler i 2014" (PDF). Politiet. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "Poliisin aseenkäyttö johtaa harvoin kuolemaan". YLE uutiset. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  8. ↑ "En France, le grand flou des violences policières En savoir plus sur". Le Monde. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Recensement de personnes tuées par la police ou à cause de son action : 2005-2016". A Toutes Les Victimes. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  10. ↑ "Statistiken zum polizeilichen Schusswaffengebrauch in Deutschland" (PDF). Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  11. ↑ "Iceland grieves after police shoot and kill a man for the first time in its history". Amnesty International. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  12. ↑ "JAMAICA: KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE BY POLICE: HOW MANY MORE VICTIMS". Amnesty International. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "WAITING IN VAIN; JAMAICA: UNLAWFUL POLICE KILLINGS AND RELATIVES' LONG STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE" (PDF). Amnesty International. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  14. ↑ "Jamaica police commit 'hundreds of unlawful killings' yearly, Amnesty says". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  15. ↑ "Politie schiet drie keer deze week, wat zijn de richtlijnen?". NOS. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "Tactical Options Research Reports". New Zealand Police Response and Operations: Research and Evaluation. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "TASER/Tactical Options Reporting (TOR) data from 22 March 2010 to 31 December 20141" (PDF). New Zealand Police Response and Operations: Research and Evaluation. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  18. ↑ "POLITIETS TRUSSEL OM BRUK AV SKYTEVÅPEN ELLER BRUK AV SKYTEVÅPEN 2002–2014" (PDF). Politiet. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  19. ↑ "Independent Police Investigative Directorate Annual Report 2012/13" (PDF). Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
  20. ↑ "Independent Police Investigative Directorate Annual Report 2013-2014" (PDF). Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
  21. ↑ "Independent Police Investigative Directorate Annual Report 2014-2015" (PDF). Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
  22. ↑ "Independent Police Investigative Directorate Annual Report 2015/2016 Financial Year" (PDF). Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
  23. ↑ "Hur ofta använder polisen skjutvapen?". Polisen. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "Polisens användning av skjutvapen och eventuella behov av åtgärder" (PDF). Polismyndigheten. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "Statistics on police use of firearms in England and Wales 2012-13" (PDF). UK Home Office. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  26. ↑ "Police use of firearms statistics". UK Home Office. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  27. ↑ "Deaths during or following police contact". Independent Police Complaints Commission. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  28. ↑ "Statistics on Police Use of Force". Police Service of Northern Ireland. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  29. ↑ "Annual firearms discharge report" (PDF). New York Police Department. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  30. ↑ "Expanded Homicide Data Table 14 Justifiable Homicide by Weapon, Law Enforcement, 2010-2014". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  31. ↑ "Expanded Homicide Data Table 14 Justifiable Homicide by Weapon, Law Enforcement, 2011-2015". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  32. ↑ "The Counted: People killed by police in the US". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  33. ↑ "Police shootings 2015". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  34. ↑ "Police shootings 2016". The Washington Post. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
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