2
Risk Management in Law Enforcement
Risk Management is defined as the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks
followed by the coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and
control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of
opportunities. Law enforcement is an extremely fast-paced and stressful career. Law
enforcement officers must make split-second, life-and-death decisions every day. Law
enforcement officers utilizing risk management strategies are more equipped to make these
decisions correctly and successfully. Likewise, law enforcement agencies are open to an
incredible amount of liability based on the nature of the law enforcement field. Law enforcement
agencies that implement risk management into their hiring, policies, and procedures have much
less liability than other agencies that do not practice risk management. Furthermore, law
enforcement officers and agencies that practice risk management strategies are more effective
and efficient. This leads to genuine, lasting relationships between law enforcement and the
community whom they serve. Risk management is paramount in modern policing to increase
officer safety, reduce agency liability, and build genuine, lasting relationships between law
enforcement and the community.
Types of Liability
There are many types of liability in law enforcement. Dr. Fritsvold from the University of
San Diego breaks law enforcement risks into the following categories: life and safety risks, risk
of litigation, technology risks, social media risks, external risks, and internal (organizational)
risks. I will explain the difference between the different types of risk and which risk management
category they fit into. Dr. Fritzvold defines life and safety risks as, “involving the lives and
safety of law enforcement professionals and the people and communities they are sworn to
3
protect and serve” (Fritzvold, 2022). That type of risk falls under increasing officer safety and
building lasting relationships. The risk of litigation consists of civil court cases determining
whether there was law enforcement misconduct. That type of risk falls under reducing agency
liability. Technology risks consist of cyberattacks on law enforcement agencies. That type of risk
falls under reducing agency liability. Social media risks are law enforcement actions that go viral
and can be taken out of context. That type of risk falls under reducing agency liability and
building lasting relationships. Dr. Fritzvold defines external risks as, “risks over which they have
little to no control, for example, “risks as diverse as weather, pandemics, criminal street gangs,
terrorists or train tracks through your community” (Fritzvold, 2022). That type of risk can fall
under any of the risk management categories. Finally, Internal risks are law enforcement officers
who either intentionally or unintentionally make extremely poor decisions. That type of risk falls
under reducing agency liability and building lasting relationships.
Increasing Officer Safety
Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics
Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics (ICAT) is a relatively new training
style for risk management that aids law enforcement in de-escalation, risk mitigation, and overall
safety for all individuals involved. ICAT is a risk management system, developed by the Police
Executive Research Forum (PERF) in 2016, that is “designed to fill a critical gap in training
police officers in how to respond to volatile situations in which subjects are behaving erratically
and often dangerously but do not possess a firearm” (PERF, 2016). ICAT provides patrol officers
with more tools, skills, and options for navigating high-stress, dynamic situations. The key
elements of ICAT are time and space. Law enforcement officers utilizing ICAT attempt to gain
more time. More time allows additional officers to arrive, officers to de-escalate the situation,
4
and gives officers on-scene more time to react and brainstorm ideas. Space is a major factor in
gaining time as well as increasing officer safety. Creating more space between the subject and
the officers allows for a much larger reactionary gap and can help de-escalate the subject.
Reducing Agency Liability
Early Intervention System
The Early Intervention System (EIS) is a procedure that uses data on individual patrol
officers to predict potential future issues with that officer. “This study found that EIS programs
for law enforcement intervention and prevention of risk management issues, as a whole, are
successful when adequately utilized and supervisors accurately report officers’ behavior” (Smith,
2022). EIS is an effective system that helps law enforcement agencies confirm they have the
right officers employed. If there is problematic data resulting from EIS, the law enforcement
agency can take proactive and preventative action to retrain and remediate the officer who is
expressing problematic data.
Training, Remediation, and Hiring Practices
Law enforcement agencies must put a large focus on training and remediation. If officers
do not understand a concept, legal issue, etc. it must be clarified. Increased training increases
officers’ knowledge and professionalism. “Gallagher’s Rule #1: What raises the level of
professional standards lowers the chances for liability and what lowers the chances for liability
raises the professional standards of the organization” (Ryan, 2018). Agencies must take a
proactive approach to training on use-of-force, legal issues, and case law. If law enforcement
officers are better informed on use-of-force, legal issues, and case law there is significantly less
risk that there will be a problematic incident. Law enforcement agencies must also exercise good
5
hiring practices. There should be a comprehensive hiring process consisting of, at minimum,
interviews, and a background investigation. Good hiring practices should attempt to select
candidates that have high degrees of knowledge, professionalism, and integrity.
Building Lasting Relationships
Law Enforcement Interactions and Decision-Making
Law enforcement interacts with many citizens every day. These interactions can vary
greatly in their length, content, and objective. Some outcomes include but are not limited to an
arrest with use-of-force, an arrest without use-of-force, a citation, a warning, or just a friendly
conversation. Often, some of these citizens may only have contact with law enforcement once or
twice. Law enforcement officers need to be kind, courteous, and professional in every interaction
regardless of what they are dealing with personally, what call they just finished, how they feel
about the individual, how they feel about the situation they are dealing with, or any other factors.
A single interaction with law enforcement, whether positive or negative, can affect an
individual's view of law enforcement for the rest of their life.
Ranalli says, “Focus on doing the right thing for the right reason by following the law,
properly accounting for the increased risk to the person, and monitoring the situation for signs
things are going in the wrong direction” (Ranalli, 2022). Focusing on doing the right thing for
the right reason is the key to being a good law enforcement agency, law enforcement officer, or
person in general. “The recent and tragic deaths of minority citizens at police hands have
generated American law enforcement's unprecedented scrutiny. Highly publicized incidents have
eroded public trust in criminal justice institutions, undermining police effectiveness” (Smith,
2022). Law enforcement should not fear or detest scrutiny, but rather scrutiny should be
6
embraced. Replace the word scrutiny with accountability and look at it in a more positive light.
Accountability is something that is not only good, but it is necessary. Founding Father James
Madison stated, “All men having power ought to be distrusted to a certain degree.” To have an
effective criminal justice system, law enforcement needs to be supported but held accountable as
well.
Biblical Perspective
Treating others with kindness is a cornerstone of Christianity. Sometimes in law
enforcement, patrol officers can start to feel like everyone they deal with is an enemy. However,
even if that is the case, God said in Luke 6:35, “But love your enemies, do good to them, and
lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you
will be children of the Most High because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Law
enforcement officers need to remember, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no
law” (Gal 5:22-23). The role of an American law enforcement officer is not to punish. Rather, the
role of an American law enforcement officer is to hold criminals accountable so that they can be
judged and published by the people and ultimately by God.
Conclusion
Risk management is an underutilized, yet paramount, concept in law enforcement. Risk
management allows for increasing officer safety, reducing agency liability, and building lasting
relationships. Risk management in law enforcement consists of ICAT, EIS, training, remediation,
hiring practices, professional interaction, correct decision-making, and more. These elements
8
References
Copple, C. K., & Copple, J. E. (2018). Risk Management in Law Enforcement: Discussions on
Identifying and Mitigating Risk for Officers, Departments, and the Public. The Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services.
https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/content.ashx/cops-w0865-pub.pdf
Fritsvold, E. (2022, August 30). Why risk management in law enforcement is more essential than
ever. University of San Diego. https://onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/risk-management-in-
law-enforcement/
McGinty, J. (2016). Integrating Communications, Assessment, and Tactics. Police Executive
Research Forum. https://www.policeforum.org/trainingguide
Ranalli, M. (2022, April 19). Police Use of Force: Managing Risk and Mitigating Harm.
Lexipol. https://www.lexipol.com/resources/blog/police-use-of-force-managing-risk-and-
mitigating-harm/
Ryan, J. (2018, June 27). Managing Law Enforcement Liability Risk. Legal and Liability Risk
Management Institute. https://www.llrmi.com/articles/legal_update/law-enforcement-
liability-mgt/
Smith, P. L. (2022). Early intervention and prediction of risk management issues in law
enforcement: A phenomenological study (dissertation). Liberty University, Lynchburg,
Virginia.
