The use of firearms by the police in Europe

• In Event: Types of homicides: A global perspective

Abstract

The use of firearms by the police as an ultima ratio of the state’s monopoly on the use of force is a little researched area with different perspectives, especially in Europe. Research deals with police training with questions of firearms training, the situation in which a firearm is used and the person against whom the firearm is used. In some cases, the police officer is also included as a subject of the analysis. International research interests focus in particular on possible links between personal factors of the person against whom the firearm is used, such as ethnic origin or mental health, and the use of firearms.
A sound understanding of the dynamics of the situation and the people involved is an essential building block for the prevention and training of such extreme situations, especially for potentially involved professional groups (e.g. police officers, psychologists).
This presentation will therefore first present and analyze the current state of research in Europe with a focus on the data available in Germany. With reference to international, primarily Anglo-Saxon research on fatal and non-fatal firearm use incidents, research gaps will be identified and finally conclusions will be drawn and discussed with regard to the prospects for future, in-depth research.

Author

• Laura Schmitz, University of Münster