NYPD Will Track Every Use of Force

The New York Police Department said Thursday it plans to implement new guidelines that require every police officer to detail every encounter in which force is used with the public. Beginning early next year, all uses of force, including baton blows, physical fights, or mace spraying, will be tracked. Under the new guidelines, officers using (or witnessing) excessive force will face formal discipline, which could include dismissal. Officers are expected to not only track every physical encounter but also to justify their actions on the new form, known as the Force Incident Report. Some actions, including putting a person against a wall or drawing a weapon, will not be counted in the analysis. The new system comes in the wake of the violent apprehension of retired tennis star James Blake, who an officer said he mistakenly identified as a suspect, as well Eric Garner’s death at the hands of police last summer.