Police chiefs can obtain better outcomes in law enforcement by employing improved strategies developed in other high-consequence industries. Although law enforcement may appear very different from these industries, the underlying fundamental elements remain the same: the combination of the systems designed by law enforcement and the human behaviors within those systems will determine the outcomes.

Similar to physicians, engineers, firefighters, and pilots, police officers are highly trained professionals operating in complex environments where the consequences of failure can be disastrous. However, unlike these other endeavors, the profession has been slow to recognize the science behind predictable organizational outcomes. In other words, the systems law enforcement designs, including the policies, procedures, and equipment, when combined with human behaviors, lead to predictable outcomes. In most cases, these components, especially police officers’ decisions (i.e., behavioral choices), are considered only when the outcome is negative. Often, for the near misses or close calls, little or nothing is done in terms of reviewing these systems or the behavioral choices regarding their contributions to those negative outcomes. No harm, no foul, right?