New dashboard releases data records of misconduct, police killing allegations in Louisiana

Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana (ACLU) announced the launch of a new dashboard reporting of Louisiana's data on police killings and misconduct.

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Officials with the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana (ACLU) announced the launch of a new dashboard reporting Louisiana's data on police killings and misconduct allegations.

The "Visualizing Police Violence In Louisiana" dashboard is said to be a non-partisan, educational tool created for the public, elected officials, and police agencies.

The data provides a breakdown of misconduct allegations and killings by parish, individual officers named in police killings, and issued repercussions.

“In a state where data on such matters is scarce, this tool aims to be a valuable resource,” said ACLU of Louisiana data analyst and dashboard project lead Elijah Appelson

The tool uses raw data from the Louisiana Law Enforcement Database, FBI Crime Data Explorer, the U.S. Census and Mapping Police Violence.

“I hope that individuals not only find it helpful in understanding the impact of police violence but also leverage it as a platform to access data, enabling them to formulate their own insights on the issue," said Appelson.

Most of the analyzed data is said to come from the New Orleans Police Department due to their reporting policy ordered by the consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice.

ACLU officials say their hope for the dashboard is to empower users to become "custodians" for the information, amplify the stories of individuals facing violence, and foster police accountability. 

They add that the challenge facing police accountability is that the state's current laws reportedly do not mandate law enforcement agencies to report "crucial" misconduct data points.

“With this data now available to the public, the ACLU of Louisiana is putting the power to hold police accountable in the hands of the people- legislators, journalists, and community members who have experienced harm, said ACLU of Louisiana executive director Alanah Odoms.

Anyone wanting to learn how to use the dashboard can register for a public webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

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