Use of force by members of the NYPD surged 20% last year to 11,746 incidents — a record high since the department began detailed record-keeping on the issue in 2016, according to a police department report quietly posted online in recent days.
Roughly half the incidents of force occurred in response to crimes or violations in progress, which often result in arrests. Incidents involving people in mental or emotional distress and encounters with prisoners accounted for 14% and 7% of the total, respectively, according to the report.
The department recorded just over 260,000 arrests last year, the highest total since 2017, when there were 286,230 arrests. That year, however, there were 7,369 incidents where force was used — nearly 40% fewer than last year…