Police officers wield the authority to use force in pursuit of lawful objectives, which significantly impacts the public perception of policing legitimacy. Previous research findings continue to document more questions than answers, but the gaps in knowledge are slowly closing. While various actors review the appropriateness of police use of force, the primary sources for the rules of conduct are the courts, specifically the appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court. Technological advancements and theoretical developments offer practitioners and researchers innovative avenues to enhance the capacity to examine, forecast, and regulate the application of police force.
Police officers have legal authority to use force, but research shows we still have more questions than clear answers about when and how this power should be used. Courts, especially the Supreme Court, set the main rules for what counts as appropriate force, while new technology and research methods are helping both police departments and researchers better study and control how officers use force. Understanding police use of force is crucial because it directly shapes whether the public trusts and views police as legitimate.
(AI-generated summary, v1, January 2026)
Citations: 1 (as of January 2026)