• The number of people killed by police officers in the US reached a record high in 2022, according to the project Mapping Police Violence.

• Nearly 1,200 people were killed by police officers last year, including Black people — who account for 24% of the total despite making up just 13% of the population.

• While police reforms were passed in some states, many advocates argue that greater investments in communities are needed to address rising police violence.

The economic systems in place in the United States continue to fail marginalized communities, as data shows that 2022 was the deadliest year on record for people who had police encounters.

According to Raw Story, at least 1,176 people were killed by police officers last year, with Black people, who make up 13% of the population, accounting for 24% of those killed.

This is despite widespread protests and calls for reform following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020.

Legal experts argue that police officers are almost always unjustified in shooting people who are fleeing from law enforcement, particularly after being suspected of committing nonviolent crimes.

However, 46% of police killings did not involve people accused of violence, with 31% occurring after an alleged violent crime and 18% involving allegations of nonviolent offenses.

While legislators have passed police reforms in at least 20 states, including restrictions on the use of force and bans on chokeholds and neck restraints, more must be done to address the systemic issues that lead to the disproportionate violence faced by marginalized communities.

“It just never stops,” Bianca Austin, the aunt of Breonna Taylor, told The Guardian. “There was a movement and uproar across the globe, and we’re still having more killings? What are we doing wrong? It’s so disheartening.”

Instead of investing in police departments, lawmakers should prioritize investing in and supporting these communities in order to make them safer.

Categories: Government, Politics, Society

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