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Colin Loftin, PhD, Brian Wiersema, David McDowall, PhD and Adam Dobrin, PhD

Colin Loftin and David McDowall are with the Violence Research Group, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New York. Brian Wiersema is with the Violence Research Group, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Maryland, College Park. Adam Dobrin is with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Colin Loftin, PhD, Violence Research Group, School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, SUNY, 135 Western Ave, Albany, NY 12222 (e-mail: cloftin{at}albany.edu).

Objectives. This study assessed the consistency of estimates of the number of justifiable homicides committed by US police officers and identified sources of underreporting.

Methods. The number of justifiable homicides committed by police officers between 1976 and 1998 was estimated from supplementary homicide report (SHR) and National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) mortality data.

Results. Nationally, the SHR estimate was 29% larger than the NVSS estimate. However, in most states this pattern was reversed, with more deaths reported in the NVSS.

Conclusions. Both systems underreport, but for different reasons. The NVSS misclassifies cases as homicides, rather than justifiable homicides committed by police officers, because certifiers fail to mention police involvement. The SHR misses cases because some jurisdictions fail to file reports or omit justifiable homicides committed by police officers. (Am J Public Health. 2003;93:1117–1121)

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