A U.S. House member has attested to the value of the Fatal Encounters database developed by RN&R editor Brian Burghart and urged federal support for academic partners who are joining the effort.
“Mr. Burghart's work is critical to complementing our legislative efforts,” wrote U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida. “Already, activist groups such as Color of Change are using his data to educate public policymakers. I believe the Department of Justice will not compile such a database unless it is forced to do so by a competing credible academic database.”
Burghart launched the website in February, and the August shooting of Michael Brown in Missouri brought it to considerable prominence. Particularly because it lists more incidents than federal databases such as that of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Congress last week re-enacted the Death in Custody Reporting Act, a federal law that lapsed eight years ago, but Burghart's efforts continue. While the original act was in effect, 2000-2006, it was largely ignored by official agencies.
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