Some key findings from the assessment are displayed below. These findings are described and explained in detail in the tabbed sections found at the top of this page. When viewing specific findings in each tab, readers can click the captions to filter results and scroll through supporting analyses to learn how we arrived at a finding.
Charlottesville, VA 2023
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
This assessment analyzes policing data, along with demographic and crime data, to identify which policing practices show patterns of racial disparities, and what factors may be contributing to those disparities.
Charlottesville Police Department (CPD) joined CPE’s National Justice Database project in August 2020. CPD shared data with CPE in order to receive analyses intended to support community and law enforcement collaboration on data-informed efforts to enhance equity in public safety. This assessment analyzes data on use of force from Jan 1, 2017 – Dec 31, 2019 and calls for service and officer activity from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2019. CPD provided some data on vehicle stops. However, data were limited to stops in which a citation was issued. CPD did not provide data on pedestrian stops during the assessment period.
USE OF FORCE
How did officers use force?
According to CPD data:
65% of all uses of force deputies recorded between 2017 and 2019 were against Black people, who made up 19% of the population of Charlottesville, Virginia.
This racial disparity was not fully explained by neighborhood variations in crime rates, poverty, or share of Black residents. After accounting for these factors, Charlottesville PD officers used force against Black people 8.1 times as often as White people.
What should be investigated further?
Racial disparities in recorded uses of force are apparent across every type of force. The 2 most common force types recorded overall were “Firearm Point / Display” and “Strike / Kick.”
How can departments reduce disparities in use of force?
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How did officers spend their time?
Police were involved in 196,792 total recorded events in 2015 – 2019, including both Officer-Initiated Activities and Calls for Service.
- 14% of these events involved Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats. All other events involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
- 28% of these events were Officer-Initiated Activities that involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
- 58% of these events were Calls for Service that involved no report of Bodily Harm, Property Harm, or Threats.
What should be investigated further?
There were 4,465 recorded mental health events, which represent some incidents that may be better addressed using appropriate non-police responders or co-response models.
How can public safety resources be better aligned with community needs?
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NEXT STEPS TO REDUCE DISPARITIES
Our resources can help communities and law enforcement agencies assess solutions and take action to reduce racial disparities in policing and design more equitable public safety systems.
OUR METHODOLOGY
Visit the Justice Navigator homepage to learn more about the methodologies we use.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding for this platform was provided by Google.org, Players Coalition, Joyce Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Lyda Hill Philanthropies. Funding for development of the National Justice Database infrastructure and the original analytic plan upon which these analyses are based was provided by the National Science Foundation, under awards led by Principal Investigators Phillip Atiba Goff, Jack Glaser, Amanda Geller, Steven Raphael, and Amelia Haviland.
Suggested citation: Center for Policing Equity (2022). Charlottesville Police Department. Justice Navigator, justicenavigator.org.