Learning from Error in Policing

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 1-5

3. Theoretical Framework

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 7-15

4. Data and Methodology

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 17-27

5. Details of the Incident

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 29-30

6. Show-Up Procedures, Relevant Policy Standards, and Training Standards

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 31-35

7. Analysis and Findings

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 37-65

8. Discussion, Policy Implications, Limitations and Directions for Future Research

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 67-79

9. Conclusion

   • Jon Shane

   Pages 81-81

10. Back Matter

    Pages 83-91

    PDF

​While the proximate cause of any accident is usually someone’s immediate action— or omission (failure to act)—there is often a trail of underlying latent conditions that facilitated their error: the person has, in effect, been unwittingly “set up” for failure by the organization.  This Brief explores an accident in policing, as a framework for examining existing police practices.   Learning from Error in Policing describes a case of wrongful arrest from the perspective of organizational accident theory, which suggests a single unsafe act—in this case a wrongful arrest—is facilitated by several underlying latent conditions that triggered the event and failed to stop the harm once in motion.   The analysis demonstrates that the risk of errors committed by omission (failing to act) were significantly more likely to occur than errors committed by acts of commission.  By examining this case, policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.   The analysis of this case, and the underlying lessons learned from it will have important implications for researchers and practitioners in the policing field.​

• Organizational Accident Theory
• Police Organization and Training
• Police Studies
• Police Training Standards
• Systems Theory and Policing
• Wrongful Arrest

• , Dept. of Law, Political Science, and CJA, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, USA

  Jon Shane

Policies and ethics