Feds will begin closer tracking of deaths in police custody

Good news: The DOJ plans to begin comprehensively tracking shootings by local police. See their notice in the Federal Register. Find explanatory coverage here:

• NY Times: Justice Department to streamline tracking of police killings
• Vox: The federal government is finally making police report every time they kill someone
• The Guardian: Police will be required to report officer-involved deaths under new US system

Amanda Woog, who recently released her curated database of Texas deaths in custody since 2005,  spoke with Texas Public Radio about the development. Notably, Texas' new reporting requirement on police shootings helpfully includes non-fatal incidents, so the data she's gathering going forward is broader, even, than what the Justice Department has suggested.

Related:

• Podcast: New Texas death-in-custody data online
• Why the increase in number of Texans shot by police?
• Journalist's Resource: Deaths in police custody in the United States: Research review