By solidifying a department’s stance on when it’s appropriate to use force and what reporting steps need to be taken if it is, the use-of-force policy is one of the clearest ways to understand how an agency applies its power.

Sam Sinyangwe is a policy analyst and data scientist with Campaign Zero focused on helping activists across the country better understand and address police violence in America, particularly within communities of color. Sam explains what drives his data-centric activism, and how public records are helping reshape conversations across the country.