Risk Management Assessments

 

Today’s municipalities, police departments and chiefs do everything in their power to protect their officers with ballistic vests, modern equipment, and training but it is not just a physical threats officers face in today’s society. Chiefs also have to think about protecting offices, themselves and their municipalities from civil litigation and devastating effects of civil law suits.

 

Commissioner Miller led the Bethlehem Police Department out of an almost 8 million dollar judgment against the Bethlehem Police Department for an incident that occurred in 1997.  Although not police commissioner at the time of the incident, he had to deal with and observed the aftermath and the effects upon the city, department, and the officers involved in the trial.

 

These type of 1983 civil judgments can not only have a huge financial burden to the municipality and the taxpayers but the effects upon the officers who are go through a prolonged trial and negative judgment can be just as devastating. 

 

Today’s society is litigious and no one can stop a civil suit from being filed but what a police chief can do is recognize the potential and take steps to harden their department, themselves and their officers.

 

Target hardening is not new to the military or law enforcement but it is many times overlooked by a police chief who is fighting the constant budget fight and performing the many, many day to day tasks of a professional police chief. 

 

L.E.S. believes in the 4 main pillars of Law Enforcement target hardening.

• Policy and procedures

• Training

• Supervision

• Hiring and retention

 

If all of these pillars are in place you have a well-supported police department. But if lacking in any one or more of these pillars your house can come crashing down. Police Departments will be reviewed by the plaintiff’s attorney when deciding upon the filing of a civil suit or chances of success. No one can stop a civil lawsuit from being filed but by target hardening you can minimize the amounts of suits or the totality of judgments against police officers, police chiefs, and municipalities.

 

L.E.S examines all your policies and procedures to be sure they are up to the professional levels, review training records for gaps that could be targeted by plaintiff’s attorneys, looks into supervision levels examining training & qualifications along with promotional procedures, and analyzes your hiring standards, disqualifiers, disciplinary procedures to assure professional standards.

 

No consultant can tell you their actions will stop a1983 civil law suit from being filed even with target hardening in place a plaintiff’s attorney will still look for gaps and improper actions and procedures and will focus on these.  

 

It is not only the police officer who gets named in a1983 federal claim but police chiefs, mayors, borough managers, township supervisors, police trainers and the list goes on.  If a negative judgment is determined it can be devastating, even Bethlehem a 3rd class city in Pennsylvania, financed the almost 8 million dollar judgment.  

 

So you must prepare and target harden you department the best you can whether with L.E.S or another risk management firm but it must be done.  Target hardening a police department is another way you protect your officers, supervisors, chiefs, and municipality.

In today’s litigious society you can almost guarantee you will be sued.   

 

The question is: are you ready?