The Phoenix Police Department said it will soon be easier to obtain data about officer involved shootings thanks to a new matrix system being developed. Officials hope it will provide the public quicker access to a wide range of information and make it easier to find and study trends.
The data collected for the matrix includes factors like felony convictions, illegal substance involvement and possible mental health issues. It will also track officer training, how many shots were fired and how long an officer had been on duty.
Trent Crump is with the Phoenix Police Department. He said information like this used to be housed in individual police reports and was difficult to extract for large scale study.
"We’re going to try to capture more of the details so they can be used for statistical reasons and for those who ask for that information, so that very possibly, others besides us can try to determine why these incidents are occurring and is there any type of solution for them," Crup said.
Crump added that in addition to transparency, easy access to this data could also help the department assess officer training methods or determine the need for legislative change.
