Addressing Law Enforcement Violence as a Public Health Issue

Copyright

2019

Physical and psychological violence that is structurally mediated by the system of law enforcement results in deaths, injuries, trauma, and stress that disproportionately affect marginalized populations (e.g., people of color; immigrants; individuals experiencing houselessness; people with disabilities; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] community; individuals with mental illness; people who use drugs; and sex workers). Among other factors, misuse of policies intended to protect law enforcement agencies has enabled limited accountability for these harms.