CONCLUSION

The results show that the profile of the person who was the typical recipient of the HCSO’s use of force during 2020 and 2022 was a Black male between the ages of 21-29 during the Spring months in District 1 whoexperiencedphysicalforcebyamaximumoftwowhiteofficers Whilegeneralizationscannotbemade, this aligns with the national trends, indicating that what is seen in Hamilton County is not unique Other inferences can be made from the data collected for this report It was surprising to see that 2020 had the highestnumberofcasesgiventhatthenationwasonlockdownformostoftheyear However,violentcrime increasedby52% in2020,whichmightaccountforincreaseduseofforceincidentsbypatrol

ItwasalsointerestingthatWinterwasthesecondhighestseasontoexperiencethemostuseofforcecases (Table4) Whilethedataisunclearwhythisoccurred,therestofthedatawasonparwiththetemperature aggression hypothesis (a total of 38 cases for both Spring and Summer) The temperature aggression hypothesisistheideathatastemperaturesincreasesodoaggressiveandviolentbehaviors Giventhatmost of the use of force incidents occurred during the warmer seasons, there may be a need for more strategic andintentionalseasonalvariationinde-escalationtacticstoreduceforceincidents.

Giventhedisparitiesamongracialgroups,diminishingracialbiasasitrelatestouseofforceoutcomesshould be a priority for the HCSO. Additionally, closer consideration should be given to age related trends and genderdisparities,withspecialattentiontothepopulationatthehighestriskintersection–Blackmalesaged 21to39 Useofforceincidentsaremorelikelytooccuracrossraceandgenderwhenlowersocioeconomic status is a contributing factor The association between use of force and those living in poverty and the intersections of race should be more closely considered as HCSO continues to be more strategic about its interactionswiththecommunity

For centuries, organizers, activists, and community members have worked to dismantle systems like the criminal legal system. As we aim toward a more equitable policing model across Hamilton County and the Southwestern Ohio region, we must always recognize the work that progressed historically marginalized peoples and informs our mission today. In the same vein, we have a responsibility to consider when these solutions have not created desirable outcomes. Therefore, we must always create space for nontraditional remedies such as allocation of resources and transformative institutional change.

Follow up with HCSO: It should be noted that the CSJ team has been in conversations with HCSO about moving from a traditional paper-based record keeping. Based on our last conversation, the HCSO transitioned from paper to electronic records in Fall of 2023. This move will benefit not only the department by also residents of the County as it will provide easier access to this information to keep updated on what force looks like at the HCSO. Additionally, we contemplated incorporating a recommendation for the Duty to Render Aid. However, the HCSO is in the process of updating its policies with an evidenced-based public safety management tool, Lexipol. This will automate the policy development process in accordance with current legal standards with the state and federal authorities