Fatal police shootings have been a point of contention and debate, particularly in the context of potential racial biases. In this blog, we’ll dive into a dataset that records such incidents to see if any patterns emerge.
Dataset Overview:
The dataset contains information on fatal police shootings, including details such as the individual’s race, age, threat level, and whether a body camera was present during the incident.
Key Findings:
- Body Camera Presence by Race:
- Asian and Black individuals had the highest percentages (around 20%) of incidents where body cameras were present.
- White individuals and those of “Other” racial categories had the lowest percentages, below 12%.
- Clustering by Race:
- When clustering the data solely based on race, the clusters predominantly grouped incidents by specific racial groups, such as Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American.
- Body Camera Filter’s Impact:
- Filtering the data for incidents with body cameras and then clustering based on race revealed that the racial distribution of incidents with body cameras aligns with the overall racial distribution in the dataset.
Insights and Implications:
- The racial distribution of incidents with body cameras closely follows the overall racial distribution in the dataset. This might suggest that body camera usage is consistent across racial groups, although external factors, such as departmental policies, can influence this.
- Clustering based on race showed clear racial groupings, indicating that the dataset has a distinct racial distribution of incidents. However, determining racial bias requires a more in-depth analysis, taking into account population distributions, socio-economic factors, and other contextual data.
- While the presence or absence of body cameras doesn’t significantly alter the racial distribution of fatal police shootings, their presence can be vital for transparency, accountability, and building public trust.
Concluding Thoughts:
Data can provide valuable insights into complex issues like fatal police shootings. While our analysis offers an initial glimpse into patterns within the dataset, it’s crucial to approach the topic with a comprehensive perspective, considering all influencing factors.
Understanding potential biases in such incidents is essential for informed public discourse, creating effective policies, and ensuring justice and equity.
