Report: Nearly 400 Philly police shootings in 8 years.

USAToday

WASHINGTON -- Philadelphia police were involved in an average of nearly 50 shootings a year since 2007, according to a Justice Department review, which concluded that officers did not receive regular training in the use of deadly force.

The 175-page review, conducted by Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services Office, also found that officers had limited access to less-lethal stun guns for use as alternatives to deadly force in volatile confrontations with suspects.

Coming just weeks after a scathing account of police operations in Ferguson, Mo., the Justice report in Philadelphia renewed concern about law enforcement's often tenuous relationship with the communities they police.

"Distrust in the ability of the (Philadelphia Police Department) to investigate itself pervades segments of the community,'' officials concluded in part. "Past and present scandals, high-profile ... incidents and a lack of transparency in investigative outcomes help cement this distrust.''

While highly critical of the department's lack of training and accountability in such incidents, the report offered only recommendations for change and did not carry the threat of possible legal action to force reforms if no binding agreement could be reached.

Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey initially requested the review in 2013 following a spike in officer shootings just as overall violent crime and assaults against police were declining.

Analysts identified 394 officer-involved shootings between 2007 and 2014, averaging about 49 per year. Of the suspects involved, an overwhelming 81% were black, while 8% were white, 9% were Hispanic and 2% Asian.

"Our assessment uncovered policy, training and operational deficiencies in addition to an undercurrent of significant strife between the community and the department,'' the report concluded.

Ronald Davis, director of the Justice Department's COPS Office, characterized the department's problem as "a fractured relationship with community stakeholders.''

"Police use of deadly force is one of the defining issues of our criminal justice system,'' Davis said. "This report provides the PPD with findings and recommendations to help the department improve with respect to use of force.''

Ramsey said he was "pleased'' to have requested the report, adding that it would help in the reform process.

"While we have the immense task of keeping our officers safe, we also have the responsibility of being as transparent as possible to our citizens,'' the commissioner said in a statement. "It's about a balanced approach, and we are committed to the task.''