2019 Duluth Police Department Use of Force Events Stratified by Race

This chart represents 2019 Use of Force data received from the Duluth Police Department alongside city demographics obtained from Census.gov. In 2019, there were 188 individuals involved in 158 Use of Force (UOF) incidents. This makes up 0.19% of the department’s total Calls for Service (CFS) of 100,766. Within the 158 UOF incidents, 3.7% resulted from proactive response (officer initiated) while 96.3% resulted from reactive response (911 call/court order). 

Policy 300 in the Duluth Police Department Manual defines force as, “the application of physical techniques or tactics, chemical agents or weapons to another person.” 

When compared to the graph on the left showing racial demographics of Duluth, the chart on the right shows clear racial disparities in regards to those experiencing force. In particular, it appears that African American and Native American residents experienced force at disproportionately high rates of 34.6% and 13.3% while only making up 4% and 2.3% of the Duluth population, respectively.