When I started researching confirmed cases of police brutality that have occurred in the United States within the past 15 years my objectives were to:

1. determine the number and types of substantiated cases;
2. identify the race/ethnicity and gender of the law enforcement officials and suspects most often involved in police brutality cases;
3.  develop an action plan with a specific objective and three to five measureable goals;
4. share that action plan with likeminded people, including captains of local police precincts;
5. encourage local municipalities to establish a safe way for police to report abuse without fear of retribution.

The preliminary results of that research are highlighted in a post I wrote titled, “A Call for Action.” My hope is the post will raise awareness about the widespread practice and frequent use of excessive force by law enforcement officials. I also hope that after reading the post readers are catapulted to form coalitions that work with local precincts to eradicate police brutality.