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University of Illinois launches groundbreaking registry tracking police lethal force incidents

By FOX 32 News
Published  December 5, 2023 10:15pm CST
Illinois
FOX 32 Chicago

University of Illinois launches registry tracking police lethal force incidents

The University of Illinois has unveiled the nations first-ever interactive database that meticulously catalogs actions by law enforcement resulting in someones death.

URBANA, Ill. - The University of Illinois has unveiled the nation's first-ever interactive database that meticulously catalogs actions by law enforcement resulting in someone's death.

The "SPOTLITE" registry encapsulates lethal law enforcement encounters spanning the years 2014 to 2021, drawing from all 50 states, including Illinois, which recorded 695 confirmed instances of police using lethal force in that timeframe.

University researchers leading the initiative pointed to an alarming upward trend in people dying at the hands of the police in recent years.

"In 2021, the number of incidents around 3400 across the country was about 42 percent higher than what we recorded in 2014, and we're not sure how those trends are continuing today, but we're going to find out," said Scott Althaus, Director of the Cline Center at the University of Illinois.

The SPOTLITE registry is envisioned to serve as a valuable resource for communities and law enforcement agencies, aiming to rebuild trust in areas where it has been lacking.