Organization Marks a Decade of Advocacy to End Police Violence with Roundup of Key Accomplishments and Look Ahead Toward New Initiatives 

On the 10th anniversary of the tragic killing of Michael Brown, Campaign Zero, an organization dedicated to ending police violence, has launched 10 Years of Impact highlighting the past decade of relentless work while setting a course for continued advocacy.  

Founded during the nationwide protests sparked by Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri, Campaign Zero has been at the forefront of the movement to end police violence in America. Over the past 10 years, the organization has spearheaded more than two dozen campaigns and initiatives aimed at changing policy, creating critical resources to advocates and providing direct support to people and families impacted by police violence.  Some of the key accomplishments, include:

Advocacy and Support: Campaign Zero’s persistent advocacy has led to the adoption of critical reforms in numerous jurisdictions, including the implementation of more stringent use of force standards, the establishment of civilian oversight boards, and the promotion of de-escalation tactics.

• Use of Force Policy Changes: We have driven reforms in use of force policies to prioritize de-escalation and protect civilian lives. To date, our national 8 Can’t Wait campaign successfully passed use of force legislation in 25 states and 2 cities. This is the single largest change to the power of the police in US history. Details can be found here.  
• Our End All No Knocks campaign has worked to ban dangerous police raids and institute stronger restrictions on law enforcement searches, resulting in 6 states and 2 cities adopting more restrictive no-knock raid laws.
• Law Enforcement Officer Bill of Rights: Our efforts have successfully led to the repeal and reform of state-level police union protections, starting with Maryland’s pioneering legislation.
• End Qualified Immunity Campaign: Our efforts to eliminate qualified immunity have been critical in holding law enforcement officers accountable for constitutional violations.
• Free Keith Davis: In collaboration with Kelly Davis, Keith Davis’ wife, we launched a campaign to highlight the wrongful incarceration of Keith and demand accountability and transparency in the case that ultimately led to Keith’s freedom.
• Cancel ShotSpotter: Our campaign takes aim at the ineffective and untested technology used by law enforcement that often mistakes loud noises for gunshots and leads to more police encounters with civilians, sometimes resulting in fatal outcomes.  We have worked with cities across the country to cancel or reject contracts using this technology and instead invest in proven solutions that center the health and safety of our communities.

Data and Analysis Campaign Zero has developed comprehensive data and research platforms to inform  evidence-based solutions to policy changes at the local, state and national  levels.

• Police Union Contracts: Campaign Zero created and maintains the first-ever database of police union contracts, now with over 4,000 contracts nationwide. Our work has been amplified by a host of organizations including the Duke Law Review and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund through the Nix the 6initiative.
• 8CantWait: We created the first-ever database of Use of Force policies and continue to be at the forefront of reviewing, grading, and influencing policy and legislative change. There are currently hundreds of city policies publicly available at 8CantWait.org alongside state laws impacting Use of Force.
• Mapping Police Violence:  Campaign Zero developed and launched the most comprehensive database and accounting of people killed by police in the United States and made the database a resource for advocates, policymakers, media, academics and the public.  Based on our data, US law enforcement are responsible for at least 7% of all homicides in the US.
  • Since 2013, at least 13,395 people have been killed by law enforcement in the United States (as of 7/23/24). In 2023, there were 18,450 homicides, and 1,352 police killings. US Law enforcement killings per year have ranged from 1,043 (2014) to 1,352 (2023). 
  • From 2013-2023, US law enforcement killed 1,147 people per year. Despite Black people comprising only 13% of the population in the US, 28.2% of people killed by law enforcement areBlack (excluding incidents where race is unknown). This means that Black people are 2.9x more likely to be killed by law enforcement in the US than White people. The average age of a person killed by law enforcement in the US is 37 years old (33 for Black people and 44 for white people).

While reflecting on the accomplishments so far, Campaign Zero is also marking this milestone by looking ahead with 400 Days of Action to commemorate the 400 days of protests in the streets of Ferguson following Michale Brown’s killing.  Over the next 400 days, Campaign Zero will be launching direct service initiatives, enhancing storytelling and community engagement, and unveiling marquee partnerships, events, data releases, and more—all to be announced. Among the upcoming announcements will be: 

• Enhancing Mapping Police Violence Database: Expanding MPV capabilities to provide neighborhood-level information on police violence, offering communities even more detailed insights into what is happening close to home, and allowing for more targeted advocacy.
• Release a 10-Year Report: A comprehensive report on the state of the movement  in America will be published, documenting key takeaways from the data and recommendations based on the research.  

“As we mark a decade since the founding of Campaign Zero and the loss of Michael Brown, our commitment to a world beyond policing where all communities are safe from police violence is as strong as ever,” said DeRay Mckesson, Executive Director of Campaign Zero. “The protests in Ferguson spanned 400 days of building momentum and pushing for change. The next 400 days of action at Campaign Zero are a testament to the work we’ve done and the work that lies ahead.”