AFTER QUOTING STUDIES WHICH SHOW THAT BLACKS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER HOMICIDE RATES THAN WHITES AND THAT A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER PROPORTION OF BLACKS ARE KILLED BY POLICE OFFICERS, POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS ARE EXAMINED. THE PAUCITY OF DATA IS DECRIED. THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WILL NOT RELEASE DATA ON POLICE USE OF FORCE, AND POLICE CHIEFS ARE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO RELEASE SUCH FIGURES. A COMPOUNDING PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT PERSONS SHOT IN THE BACK ARE LUMPED TOGETHER WITH THE FIGURES FOR BANK ROBBERS, SHOOTING IT OUT WITH THE POLICE. STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO COMPARE BLACKS AND WHITES OF SIMILAR SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT IS THE RACE OR THE POVERTY LEVEL WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT. TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF RACE AND RACISM, IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO CODIFY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH POLICE-CAUSED DEATH, SIMILAR TO KNOOHUIZEN'S STUDY OF CHICAGO POLICE KILLINGS. BRENNER'S 1976 STUDY OF THE LONG-RANGE EFFECTS OF UNEMPLOYMENT IS ALSO CITED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE RELATIONSHIPS UNCOVERED COMBINE BOTH RACISM AND THE STRESS AS CAUSED BY POVERTY AND LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYMENT OR UNDEREMPLOYMENT. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. AN APPENDIX CRITICIZES THE METHODOLOGY OF GASTIL'S 'REGIONAL CULTURE OF VIOLENCE' STUDY, WHICH ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN POLICE USE OF FORCE BY CITING CULTURAL NORMS. (GLR)