Greenness, Deprivation, and Fatal Police Shootings: A Five-Year Nationwide Study in the United States

Abstract

Police shootings are a serious form of violence that have profound impacts on social well-being. Although the impacts of socioeconomic, demographic, and regulatory factors on fatal police shootings were well established, the relationship between greenness levels and police shootings remains unclear, especially across varying levels of social deprivation. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a three-step analysis. First, an analysis of 3,108 counties in the contiguous United States revealed a significant negative association between the level of greenness and incidence of fatal police shootings. Second, a focused analysis of 805 metropolitan counties revealed an even stronger association. Third, we found the negative association remains significant across five levels of social deprivation, with a stronger association observed in counties with higher levels of social deprivation. This study is the first to examine relationships between greenness levels and fatal police shootings. These findings may provide initial evidence and a novel perspective for policymakers, researchers, and professionals, suggesting that greenspaces may serve as a promising environmental intervention to reduce fatal police shooting and other types of social violence or conflict.