Why ending police violence is a public health issue: A Q&A with APHA’s Georges Benjamin

In 2017, police shot and killed almost 1,000 people in the U.S., according to a tracking project from The Washington Post. Julia Haskins, reporter for The Nation’s Health newspaper, interviews Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of APHA, about the problem of police violence in the U.S., and how it affects the health of the public.

Q: How is police violence a public health issue?

Violence, in all of its forms, is a public health issue because it impacts both physical health and mental health. It’s a significant problem, because violence can lead to injury and even death and undermines both the sense of community well-being and the sense of personal well-being. And we know that like other violence, police violence is preventable.

Q: There’s also the issue of health equity. There are racial disparities in people who are affected by police violence. Would you say that’s correct?

Continue reading the Q&A in The Nation's Health.