Appalachian Voices on Police Violence

Partnered with two community organizations, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky’s Sycamore Project and Hellbender Harm Reduction, the Appalachian Voices on Police Violence Project seeks to better understand how police practices shape safety, health, and public trust in Appalachian communities.

Drawing on preliminary regional data that suggest police killings in parts of Appalachia exceed national averages, students will help develop a clearer, evidence-based picture of when and how violent and fatal encounters occur, and how they are understood by families, neighbors, and local communities. The data will include rural/urban counties spanning Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Using field research, interviews, and legal analysis, researchers are carefully documenting local experiences with police in a region long shaped by economic disinvestment, substance abuse disorder, and the expansion of criminal-legal responses. People directly affected by police violence will be treated as experts on their own experiences, with clear options to control how their stories are shared and archived. The resulting materials will help community partners develop practical strategies for harm reduction, violence prevention, and more effective engagement with community and public officials.