CHICAGO — A groundbreaking new study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reveals a dramatic drop in police use of lethal force both nationally and across the state of Illinois — signaling what researchers call a “critical shift” in how law enforcement engages with the public.
According to the report from the university’s Cline Center for Advanced Social Research, use of deadly force by police officers fell by 24% nationwide between 2021 and 2023. In Illinois, the decline was nearly identical at 23%, placing the state eighth in the country for overall reduction.
Cook County and Statewide Trends Show Encouraging Signs
The report shows Cook County saw a steep drop in reported incidents — from 53 in 2021 to just 33 in 2023, a nearly 38% decline. At the state level, Illinois recorded 96 lethal force incidents in 2021, compared to 74 in 2023.
Researchers say the findings are part of a long-term project aimed at making law enforcement more accountable and data-driven.
“Police uses of lethal force have decreased dramatically since 2021,” said Scott Althaus, director of the Cline Center and a political science professor. “We don’t yet know why we’re seeing this decrease, but our role is to rigorously document these incidents so others can investigate the causes.”
How the Data Was Collected
Unlike other reports that rely solely on government sources, the University of Illinois study draws on a broad array of local news reports and police records. It includes both fatal and nonfatal incidents involving firearms, pursuits, and any police use of force that results in death.
The Cline Center’s SPOTLITE project uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human analysts to ensure accuracy.
“We leverage artificial intelligence techniques where we can be confident that they are producing results that are about the same as if we had highly trained human analysts,” Althaus explained.
All data is human-verified, with trained researchers manually confirming every incident.
Who Is Most Affected?
The 2022–2023 data shows 91% of civilians involved in these incidents were male, while Black individuals made up 35% of all cases — despite accounting for just 12% of the U.S. population according to the 2020 census.
Ajay Singh, assistant director of strategic research at the Cline Center, described the work as “a huge undertaking” but essential for improving trust between communities and police departments.
No Clear Reason for the Decline — Yet
While the drop in incidents is statistically significant, researchers caution against drawing premature conclusions about what caused it.
“This is not a causal analysis. We are documenting patterns, not offering explanations — yet,” Althaus said in the university’s official research release.
Still, the report has drawn attention from lawmakers, civil rights advocates, and police accountability groups — many of whom view the decline as a positive sign, especially in urban areas like Chicago where tension over police conduct has run high in past years.
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