Crucial considerations when using 1033 Program data as a measure of police militarization

ABSTRACT The 1033 Program has become a favored dataset for scholars examining the impact of police militarization on outcomes such as fatal force and crime rates. However, these data are often not treated appropriately, leading to mixed results that have been salient in US policy decision-making. Beyond the US, other nations looking at these studies may use their implications in decision-making about equipping the police with military items, and improperly handled data may generate inaccurate conclusions that drive policy decisions. To illustrate necessary considerations for proper data handling, this article conducts a systematic review of quantitative literature using 1033 Program data to determine how these data were handled. Findings show that 12 out of 14 peer-reviewed articles do not use the data properly for longitudinal data, and that a wide variety of categorization schemes are used. This article concludes with best practice recommendations for obtaining, structuring, and categorizing the data.