As part of the research project "SAFE - Use of Firearms by Police: Legal Frameworks, Escalation Dynamics, and Prevention Approaches," an expert workshop on the topic of police use of firearms took place at the Chair of Criminology. This currently much-discussed topic, most recently exemplified by the shooting of Lorenz A. in Oldenburg, was examined from different perspectives, and existing knowledge was gathered and discussed.

First, Dr. Anabel Taefi from the University of the Academy of Police Hamburg and Laura Schmitz from the University of Münster presented the different dimensions of firearm use and the research project SAFE. This was followed by two lectures on the existing data foundations regarding police firearm use in Germany. Robin Schmidt, representing the PTI of DHPol, explained the statistics compiled there at the request of the IMK. He concluded that the data contained in the statistics are insufficient to cover the various interests. This is particularly true for gaining knowledge for the police in order to develop their own action concepts and preventive measures.

There followed a keynote speech by Mathias Monroy from CILIP, who presented the publicly accessible database 'Police Fatal Shootings'. This civil society database provides an independent alternative to the IMK statistics by documenting and categorizing cases of fatal police shootings based on media research. The issue of the methodology of media evaluation was discussed.

Following this, there were two keynote presentations on empirical police research. First, Laila Abdul-Rahman presented findings from the KviAPol research project, focusing specifically on the knowledge gained for the study of police use of firearms from a legal perspective. A central aspect was the distinction between a police standard and a legal standard, as well as the fiction of the clarity of legal legality. The second presentation on empirical research was given by Prof. Dr. Anna Nassauer, who shared insights from her video analyses of cases of police lethal use of firearms in the USA. Special attention was paid to the connection between situational factors that favor the use of firearms and pre-existing (implicit) racist prejudices.

The final presentation was given by Prof. Dr. Thomas Feltes, who discussed the legal as well as practical challenges of police operations involving individuals in a mental crisis situation and derived action recommendations for police engagement from this, which also serve to prevent the use of police firearms.

The workshop highlighted the need for further research in Germany on the factors influencing police firearm use – including characteristics of the shooting police forces, situational dynamics, spatial environment, and dispositions of the individuals involved. Such empirical findings are necessary to develop effective prevention approaches. The legal handling of cases involving police firearm use also represents a central aspect, as it significantly affects trust in independent investigations. We thank you for the exciting and insightful keynote speeches and the exchange.