Law enforcement

FBI Admits Lack of Data on Police Shootings is "Embarrassing," "Ridiculous"

At a private gathering of more than a 100 law enforcement officials and politicians, FBI Director James Comey addressed the FBI's lack of data on shootings by local police.

"It is unacceptable that The Washington Post and the Guardian newspaper from the U.K. are becoming the lead source of information about violent encounters between police and civilians. That is not good for anybody." Comey said according to The Washington Post,

Currently, the FBI's tracking system for local police shootings is entirely voluntary. Only 18,000 police departments participate, or roughly 3% of the national total, rendering the system statistically meaningless.