For the next few weeks, I plan to focus on two main research questions:
- Why do certain states stand out more than others in fatal police shooting rates, despite differences in population size and density? Specifically, I am interested in understanding why states report some of the highest rates, in comparison to the population
- What locations show differences between armed and unarmed individuals, and how have these patterns changed over time? I want to explore whether areas with higher gun presence are associated with more police shootings.
After exploring several potential directions, these questions resonate with me the most, and I plan to base my project around them.
To narrow my focus, I will consider key factors such as whether individuals were armed or unarmed, as well as the population density of each state. I will need to determine which population census data to use for accurate comparisons. Additionally, I aim to analyze racial disparities across states and major counties.
Finally, I plan to examine the top ten states, cities, and counties with the highest rates of fatal police shootings and explore any patterns related to the law enforcement agencies involved.
In addition to examining population size and density, I plan to explore several other factors that may explain state-level differences in fatal police shootings. These include urban versus rural populations, and mental illness indicators, as well as contextual factors like gun laws, socioeconomic conditions.