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Data Analysis and Visualization by Leonardo Nicoletti Text by Orlando Nicoletti Title Art by Antoine Balouka T he police is an institution that we have made central to our societies. We invest enormous amounts of money, time, and effort in its daily operation, in its enhancement, and in its reform; we are deeply committed to sustaining it. Yet many of us spend little time thinking about what the police actually do. This is especially true for those of us who are the most privileged, who don't interact with
Spatial distribution of fatal encounters between civilians and police since the year 2000, where each circle represents a city. Hover on a circle to see the number of deaths by police for that city in a given year. Play with the slider to see how police violence evolves over time. Each year, cities with the highest number of deaths by police are highlighted.
In recent years, video footage of brutal police murders has forced us all to reckon with the reality of policing, and in recent months millions of people have taken to the streets to demand justice, accountability, and freedom from police violence. Central to the analysis developed by this movement is an understanding of the role of police in subjugating Black people and maintaining racial hierarchies. This has been true from the very inception of the police , throughout its history , and it remains true to