An analysis of reports produced by the East Lansing Police Department shows that ELPD officers are using force more often this Michigan State University school year than the start of the previous three school years, and the racial disparity of who force is used against is wider than past years.
After the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission started meeting in late 2021, ELPD began providing monthly reports that outline instances where ELPD officers used force. The public reports include a narrative of each instance, demographic data of the people police were interacting with and, until recently, the names of officers involved.
Reviewing reports from August through October, the first three months of Michigan State University’s school year, from 2022 until this year shows that ELPD has used force more frequently than previous years…