The Norman Police Department joined the Police Data Initiative in 2017 and introduced its Open Data Portal with the aim of enhancing transparency and accountability through effective analysis. Today, four years of data pertaining to departmental demographics, use of force, contacts, citations, and arrests, as well as complaints, are accessible to the public through the portal.
Data can be manipulated to support a pre-determined conclusion. Policing in a multi-cultural society is complex and correlations between variables is easily skewed by over generalizations or limited inquiry. Analysis requires long-term commitments from dedicated research partners that will dig deeply into the socio-cultural realities of police-community interactions and develop usable recommendations for change that can be modeled across the nation. For that reason, the department entered into a strategic partnership with the Knee Institute and University of Oklahoma School of Social Work in 2021 to provide an unbiased, external, and research-based examination of our data. The partnership is called the Partnership for Evaluating the Police.
Recent publications reference our data and draw conclusions without analysis. We do not refute the raw information provided on our Open Data Portal. We are concerned, however, with the use of the data in over simplistic ways that tend to inflame emotions rather than inform. Refusing to differentiate, for example, the various types of force (from verbal commands and physical tactics through lethal force) tends to leave the impression that all force is the same and it always ends in tragedy. Policing requires finding a balance between recognizing the impacts institutional bias while also continuing to provide for public safety – including the safety of our marginalized community members.
NPD remains the only agency in Oklahoma that participates in the Police Data Initiative and releases the raw data we provide through our Open Data Portal. We are committed to remaining transparent and learning from our partners and stakeholders. We will provide ongoing updates on the status of analysis efforts with the Partnership for Evaluating Police through the NPD website, normanpd.normanok.gov.