decision making in law enforcement essay

M.E. Browning

Writer of Wrongs

The Decision-Making Process in Police Organizations

Decision-making in law enforcement is as dynamic as the profession and there is no single process that will work in all situations. The course of action undertaken by an officer involved in a critical incident must be made quickly, under pressure, and often in isolation.

Line-level decisions are made instinctually, based on the individual’s training and experience. Decisions made by command-level officers, on the other hand, are more apt to be made in a collaborative environment, after extensive research, and under flexible deadlines. These decisions are contemplative and draw upon the individual’s education and experience. Whether the decision is made to quell a crisis or serve an administrative function, the immediate and long-term repercussions of these decisions can reverberate throughout the community the officer serves, as well as the agency in which he or she works. Law enforcement professionals have an enormous responsibility and obligation to make ethical, legal and knowledgeable choices that safeguard the public’s trust in our abilities to establish law and order in our communities.

Administratively speaking, decisions rarely need to be made in a vacuum. I have the incredible good fortune to work with a Command Staff that has enormous respect for each other’s opinions and we all tend to come at problems from different angles. If I were pressed to label our personalities, the Chief is our visionary. He often identifies a problem before it is fully formed. He thinks aloud as he chews on a problem, and we, as his staff, have to recognize that his words are unedited, global and in their infancy. He relies upon us to nurture his thoughts through their adolescence until they mature into a cohesive plan. The Operations Captain is all about strategy and tactics. He looks at the nuts and bolts of a problem and grounds us. The Chief and Captain often tease me that I’m the kinder, gentler of the two Captains, and for the most part, they’re probably correct. While like any administrator I’m charged with safeguarding the department, I’ve always been concerned with how a decision will impact the individuals involved. I’ve always considered the human element involved in decision-making.

This works for us—especially when we disagree. My Chief has had to mediate more than a few knockdown, drag-out arguments between his captains, but when the decision is reached and the door opens, we present a unified front. In the end, healthy (and respectful) debate allows any problem to be examined in greater detail. More than once I have challenged someone to back up their viewpoints with facts and had them change my mind. Administrators must not fear being wrong. A bad decision defended beyond reason can inflict incredible damage upon an agency. Collectively, our input makes arriving at a viable decision an easier task and one that yields far better results.

Often bad decisions only surface when someone lodges a complaint either against an officer’s conduct or a procedural process that seemed like a good idea on paper but resulted in unintended consequences upon implementation. An environment that fosters open communication and an ability to fail forward will result in corrective processes that will strengthen the agency.

So how can making a bad decision result in a stronger agency? It gets back to that whole willingness to be wrong. It takes strength and humility to admit being wrong. Considering the number of decisions made on a daily basis, administrators have a lot of opportunity to mess up. It takes courage in a paramilitary organization to approach someone higher in rank and suggest that something could be done better, or that something is flat-out wrong. It is every bit as important for officers to trust their command staff as it is for administrators to trust members of the department. Alexander Pope (1688-1744) said it best, “No one should be ashamed to admit they are wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that they are wiser today than they were yesterday.”

Police officers and administrators are called upon to make myriad decisions each and every day of their careers. Whether made individually or collaboratively, the best decisions often start in the heart, process through the mind, and fulfill a vision. Education, training, ethical motivations, liability, precedent—all these aspects are consciously or unconsciously considered during the decision-making process. Open communication, trusted advisors and knowing that even an honest mistake can be defended and changed leads to an environment where people feel comfortable deviating from the “Yes Man” mentality and offer true and valuable input into a decision-making process.

Originally published in Police Administration, 3rd Edition by Larry K. Gaines and John L. Worrall, 2012.

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Published by micki browning.

Retired police captain M.E. Browning writes the Colorado Award winning Jo Wyatt Mysteries and the Agatha-nominated Mer Cavallo Mysteries in addition to short stories and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in dive magazines, anthologies, mystery magazines, and textbooks. Lover of tea, slinger of sarcasm, writer of wrongs. View more posts

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Modern Police Leadership pp 389–401 Cite as

Decision-Making in Law Enforcement

• Mark Roycroft 3  
• First Online: 02 September 2021

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The greater accountability of police decision makers is unprecedented in all areas, including the management of critical incidents. The justifiable emphasis for particular scrutiny is on the effectiveness of the decisions made in major enquires. The police service has seen a vast increase in the transparency of police decision-making and the need for police officers of all ranks to justify, record and explain their decision-making. This chapter focuses upon the challenges and responsibilities faced by police officers. This chapter reviews and explores the naturalistic decision-making practices of officers and how they prioritise risk.

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Organizational Change through Decision Making and Policy: A New Procedural Justice Course for Managers and Supervisors

How is the concept of procedural justice applied to policing, and what does it really mean? “Procedural justice” refers to the idea of fairness in the processes that resolve disputes and allocate resources. It is a concept that, when embraced, promotes positive organizational change and bolsters better relationships.

Procedural justice speaks to four principles, often referred to as the four pillars: 1) being fair in processes, 2) being transparent in actions, 3) providing opportunity for voice, and 4) being impartial in decision making. The research of Yale University professor Tom Tyler and other leaders in the field has demonstrated that perceptions of fairness are driven not only by outcomes but also by the fairness and consistency of the processes used to reach those outcomes. 1 But the four principles—or pillars—don’t stand alone; they support one another. The process of decision making also requires transparency and openness; that is, decisions should unfold out in the open as much as possible, and the reasoning behind decision making should be explained clearly when appropriate. People want an opportunity not only to understand what is happening but also to feel they have an opportunity for voice to ensure their side of the story is heard. No one likes to feel their future is being decided upon at another person’s whim; rather, people want voice or representation in decisions that may directly affect them. We all want decision making to be guided by impartiality, ensuring that biases did not influence the decision and ultimately the outcome.

When the four pillars of procedural justice are embraced—beginning with the executive leadership and continuing down through sworn and civilian supervisors—it may ultimately have an impact on the way front line officers and civilian personnel interact with the public. 2 Procedural justice is a concept that promotes positive organizational change, bolsters better relations with the community, and enhances officers’ and civilian employees’ safety.

There are two areas of procedural justice as it applies to law enforcement: internal and external. Internal procedural justice refers to officers’ perceptions that their colleagues’ actions—particularly those of their supervisors—are fair and understandable, which demonstrates a key level of respect. Research on internal procedural justice indicates that officers who feel respected by their supervisors are more likely to understand why decisions were made; more likely to accept, support, and voluntarily comply with those decisions, including departmental policies; and less likely to challenge the decisions. 3 Additionally, officers are happier at work, feel a greater sense of self worth, and are more willing to go the extra mile for the agency because they have a deeper connection to the agency’s mission and vision. This demonstrates that people are more willing to make sacrifices if the process is perceived to be procedurally just and if they are shown respect prior to the outcome.

Internal procedurally just behaviors lead to external procedurally just behaviors. External procedural justice focuses on the way law enforcement—particularly front line officers—and other legal authorities interact with the public. The characteristics of those interactions will have a direct and fundamental impact on public opinion often referred to as police “legitimacy.” 4 Such interactions can either enhance or lower people’s opinions of law enforcement agencies and their personnel.

Procedurally just policing has recently been endorsed by the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing 7 and has long been embraced by the COPS Office to advance public safety and build relationships with communities. To that end, the COPS Office and the Center for Public Safety and Justice at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with key researchers and law enforcement executives, developed the Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement Agencies: Organizational Change through Decision Making and Policy course. This course introduces sworn and civilian law enforcement management and supervisors to the philosophy of procedural justice and provides practical steps for its internal implementation. The goal of the course is to increase knowledge, provide guidance, and offer examples of how to incorporate the principles of procedural justice into organizational decision making, policies, and procedures, creating an environment where these core principles are supported and practiced at all levels of the agency.

Target Audience

The target audience for this course is sworn and civilian law enforcement management and supervisors with roles and responsibilities in organizational decision making and developing, implementing, and enforcing agency policies and procedures.

Course Length

Eight hours (one day)

Course Structure

• Module 1: Introduction
• Module 2: The Pillars of Procedural Justice
• Module 3: Organizational Change through Leadership
• Module 4: Incorporating Procedural Justice into Policy
• Module 5: Recruiting and Recruit Training
• Module 6: Evaluation, Promotion, and Retention
• Module 7: Practices that Enhance Encounters with the Public

The Procedural Justice for Law Enforcement Agencies course is instructed by a highly qualified two-person team, bringing the perspectives both of executive level law enforcement and of an allied profession. To date, the course has been delivered in six states and is well received by participants based on course evaluations. One participant commented, “The entire course was outstanding. My favorite part was the leadership principles. We were all reminded of the reasons we became leaders of our organization.”

The movement from a community reaction of “that’s not fair” to “I understand” often rests within the individual police officer-community member interaction but is more often rooted in the deeper culture of the law enforcement agency. The philosophy of procedural justice aims at the heart of an organization’s culture and provides a structure for positive organizational transformation.

Inquiring about the Course

For all training inquiries, please contact the training coordinator, Katie Holihen, by phone at 312-996-8265 or by email at [email protected] .

Charlene Moe Center for Public Safety and Justice University of Illinois at Chicago

Melissa Bradley Senior Policy Advisor and Managing Editor COPS Office

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What really matters for effective police leadership?

You owe it to those you lead to practice the positive leadership attributes you admire in others and never do the bad things you’ve observed.

Leaders must be able to effectively talk and honestly listen, in good times and bad, formally in meetings and casually in the hallway, in groups and individually.

Photo/Police1

In my previous two articles , I espoused two of my steadfast beliefs – based on over 30 years in police supervision and executive leadership roles in one of North America’s largest police services:

• Leadership can make or break morale and in doing so affect levels of police employee professionalism and productivity. Without effective leadership, employees won’t feel connected, will not be inspired and will likely not act and do their very best; and
• Police department professionalism and productivity ultimately impact public trust . The department is not apt to develop the vital trust of the public they serve if they are not perceived to be professional and always trying their best to ensure community safety and reduce victimization. Overall, such a scenario will create an ineffective “us versus them” policing environment and severely hurt both employee retention and the ability to recruit the best the community has to offer.

While you are reading this article, I’d ask that you do two things: Firstly, think of the best leader you ever worked for and what made them that way. What was it they did or said that made you willing to walk through broken glass for them? Secondly and conversely, think of the worst boss you ever had. What was it about them that made you want to quit the job, go home and suck your thumb and cry yourself to sleep?

Weak leadership has negative impacts on all public or private sector organizations, but in a policing environment that continues to be plagued with allegations of racism and excessive force, that range from real to exaggerated to contrived, combined with calls for government reviews into and for the defunding of police, it has never been more critical to get leadership right. Police leaders owe that to their communities and to their employees.

Essential leadership skills

I was a cop most of my adult life and in leadership roles throughout. I saw and learned from the very best, but sadly they were few and far between. I also learned tremendous leadership lessons from the weakest of leaders, but they taught me how NOT to treat people. Then there was a large glut in the middle. They were supervisors and managers who really didn’t care about anyone but themselves; never tried hard to inspire, coach, or mentor others or to make good decisions; but at the same time were not necessarily offensive. They simply filled a uniform, or a suit and they were most often physically present, but that was it. For much of my career, it was a depressing picture.

When I wrote my book, “ Never Stop on a Hill ,” I put questions similar to what I asked you above regarding good and bad leaders to many police chiefs from across Canada in one-on-one interviews, and to thousands of police employees during lectures and through informal surveys I conducted. When I asked those questions to live audiences, I immediately saw the gears turning among them as they pictured the worst and the best leaders that have impacted their lives. Some smiled, others grimaced.

Chief Rick Deering (Ret.) of both the Ontario Provincial Police and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary told me: “The best leader I had the pleasure of working for was Roy Gordon, a common-sense, soft-spoken gentleman with a quick wit and a sense of humor that was appreciated by all. He taught me many valuable lessons regarding the art of leadership through the humility, empathy and honesty that accentuated every decision he made, particularly the difficult ones. In particular, he had the innate ability to accurately assess every situation on its own merits and apply the best resolution for all involved. Succinctly put, he was a master at both talking the talk, and walking the walk.”

Many police personnel at all levels describe individuals with similar “people skill” qualities that positively impacted them as leaders. They speak of courage, decisiveness, passion, support, humility, empathy and honesty. They give examples of leaders who were there for them in the tough times, personally and professionally. I heard descriptors like: “He’d stop and talk to people and make them feel special.” They confirmed my belief that leadership is all about people.

From an essential skill perspective, the qualities that most often resonate with employees are as follows:

• Communication. I firmly believe that if you can’t communicate you cannot lead. Leaders must be able to effectively talk and honestly listen, in good times and bad, formally in meetings and casually in the hallway, in groups and individually. Communicating with personnel about employee issues and needs as opposed to all the wonderful accomplishments of the leader is key. Ensuring an environment in which respectful feedback is both given and taken is a must.
• Decision-making. Real leaders do what is right, not what is easy or expedient, and do it for the right reasons – the good of the community and in the best interests of those being led, as opposed to what is best for the leader’s resume. They involve employees in identifying the problems and the solutions. When feasible, true leaders actively seek input prior to making decisions and at the very least communicate the “what” and the “why” of their decision-making. It should never be a “Where is this coming from?” environment from an employee perspective.
• Accountability. It should not be a “do as I say but not as I do world.”. True leaders ensure employees are accountable and that they are accountable themselves. Many employees expect to be held accountable but expect the punishment to fit the crime and in a uniform way. Many employees have told me stories of superiors who were totally unaccountable themselves but harangued good employees over the most trivial of issues while allowing pet employees to get away with anything. Fairness and consistency emerged as key themes, as did the ability of leaders to distinguish honest mistakes from acts of malice with an even-tempered approach.
• Caring and supportive. Employees of all ranks want leaders who know them, appreciate and care about them. I’ve regularly heard the sentence “He (or she) doesn’t even know me.” Of all the feedback I have received about my leadership success over the years (and I have had my failures as well), I have no doubt that “knowing” people has been my strength, as has knowing their names, stopping to say hello, asking them about their families, and acknowledging work successes. Also checking in on them following difficult personal or professional events are things that mean the world to people. And we cannot forget that they are “people” with names, histories, families, goals and feelings and a need to feel supported.
• Inspiring. When you think back to your own lives and careers, those who inspired you to be and do your very best undoubtedly stand out in your minds. As a leader, that should be a critical goal: Inspire those around you. Employees who feel they have a say, feel understood, appreciated and supported are much more apt to be inspired to contribute to department goals and strategies. At the same time, they will likely do it more professionally than those who merely do the minimum because they are forced to.
• Building trust. All successful roads lead to trust. By effectively and honestly communicating and supporting your people with integrity while demonstrating your faith in them, a two-way trustful environment will emerge. Would you strive to do your best for a leader who you do not trust? No. Nor will those you lead. Trust is a critical commodity. Work hard to build and maintain it.

Choose good leadership

Observations I have received about bad leaders are the total antithesis of the good and great ones. Bad leaders are largely described as unethical, dishonest and poor communicators. Some have tremendous egos. They are more concerned about their own careers than those of the officers they led. They play favorites, are insecure, show a lack of judgment and/or common sense, and are prone to panic and abuse people verbally through demeaning commentary and derogatory behavior. In fact, they really aren’t “leaders” at all but simply have been appointed to leadership roles.

Bad leaders were described by police officers as people who:

• Cause hatred and dissension
• Destroy morale and ruin lives
• Won’t make decisions
• Are self-serving and full of entitlement
• Surround themselves with “yes people”
• Are abusive, ignorant and rule with an iron fist
• Care about no one but themselves
• Blame others, take credit
• Never seek input as they know it all.

The resounding lesson is this: Remember what the good leaders did and do those things yourself as a leader. Then remember what the bad leaders did and never do those things to anyone, ever. Those leaders significantly impacted you in both wonderful and disturbing ways, so you owe it to those you lead to use the positive attributes and not the negative qualities that you personally experienced.

You are bound to be a better leader as a result.

This article includes excerpts from “Never Stop on a Hill” by Chris D. Lewis and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Leadership, FBI LEEDA Insighter Magazine ( Issue I – Winter 2022 ) by Chris D. Lewis.

NEXT: The 22 leadership traits cops are looking for in their supervisors in 2022

Chris D. Lewis became commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) on August 1, 2010, assuming leadership of one of North America’s largest deployed police services. As commissioner, he oversaw front-line policing, traffic and marine operations, emergency response and specialized and multi-jurisdictional investigations throughout the Province of Ontario, including service to 324 municipalities, highways and waterways, delivered through almost 9,000 personnel.

After joining the OPP in 1978, Commissioner Lewis served across Ontario in front-line service delivery, various investigative disciplines, tactical operations and a number of command positions in the Investigations and Organized Crime and in Field Operations command. He was also seconded to the RCMP to lead an anti-smuggling task force for two years the Ontario government for another two years, where he led the Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario.

He retired from the OPP in April 2014 but continues to lecture on leadership and policing issues across North America. He has authored numerous articles and in 2016 he published a book on leadership, entitled “Never Stop on a Hill,” the profits from which are entirely committed to Special Olympics Ontario. He has been on contract at NATO’s Joint Warfare Centre in Norway since 2017, providing subject matter expertise during large military exercises, regarding civilian policing and intelligence matters. In addition, he is currently the Public Safety Analyst for the CTV Television Network, appearing regularly in local and national news stories across Canada. See more of his work on his company website, www.lighthouseleadershipservices.com.

Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement Research Paper

Homeland security officers risk their lives everyday for the protection of the general public from perceived and potential threats. From 1993 and beyond, the US has developed many security concerns.

For example, the US has been severally attacked through acts of terrorism such as the Oklahoma City bombings that happened in April 1995. Other potential threats still lurk, like the World trade centre bombings of 1995 and the September 11 th attacks in New York.

The fight against terrorism has thereafter taken a very broad dimension whereby the citizens to be protected now include the whole world and the perceived threat to state security is also taking a global dimension (Vaughan-Williams, p. 105). These new developments therefore mean that laws and policies need to meet the new challenges of state security.

There has been a considerable degree of development in law enforcement to tackle newly perceived threats in state security and many proactive approaches have been adopted in the same regard. Although this progress is commendable, more can still be done to further improve state security from what it is.

This therefore means that homeland security officers need to “think outside the box” by employing critical thinking as their core pillar in changing most of their policies (Vaughan-Williams, p. 105). More creative security policies therefore need to be developed and new paradigms also need to be arrived at.

This study incorporates this thought by developing strategies that the US homeland security can use to improve the accomplishment of its security mandate. Core in this study will be the critical thinking model which will act as the ultimate model to the development of homeland security procedures.

The eight elements of thought in critical thinking will outline the model and provide a blueprint to the development of new policies and strategies. Comprehensively, this study advances the fact that critical thinking can be potentially used to improve homeland security services.

Elements of Critical Thinking

In any kind of human thought, there are eight elements of critical thinking that always take place. These eight elements are encompassed in the critical thinking model.

The basic elements are thinking for a purpose, raising questions, utilizing specific information, incorporating concepts, deriving inferences, making assumptions, deducing implications, and embodying a point of view (Philips, 2008). They outline the blueprint structure below:

Thinking for a Purpose

Instead of sitting back and waiting for a specific calamity to happen (before action is taken), it is important to incorporate critical thought to avert such eventualities. Critical thinking can be incorporated as a progressive type of thinking that can possibly lead to the development of multiple scenarios.

Critical thinking as a proactive measure is one instrument law enforcement officers can use as a managerial technique. This approach is better than being reactive, which only leads to pointing out fingers at people or parties who are perceived as the cause for a security lapse.

With regards to homeland security, using critical thinking to develop tactical strategies and implementing them is just one side of the coin because a lot still needs to be done to come up with the right solution to security problems. Indeed, Philips (2008) notes that “Tactical Case Support Prevails, Yet Operational Strategic Analysis and Predictive Intelligence or Warning Intel- Ligence Is Non-Existent or Misunderstood” (p.3).

Critical thinking as a proactive measure enforces homeland security intelligence systems. Most organizations and institutions the world over have already accepted the importance of critical thinking as a standard operating requirement, more so, for massive or statewide operations like that of the homeland security.

Philips (2008) is of the opinion that ‘now that thinking about thinking is globally accepted as a critical business function, the most successful companies not only recognize, but also embrace, the behaviors and skills required’ (p. 4).

In developing a critical thinking approach for proactive purposes, it is important to note that critical thinking needs to incorporate previous experiences, should be team based, and should incorporate a formal structure for decision making. For example, when an officer is given a gun to practice shooting, he/she should consider possible scenarios before he/she can take a shot.

Proactive critical thinking uses the same principles. Critical thinking will therefore enable homeland security to gauge these possible scenarios and come up with prudent policies and possibly overcome situational biases.

Raising Questions

Engaging critical thinking is aimed at overcoming biases, assumptions, myths and fallacies associated with security to come up with applicable and effective security policies. When incorporating critical thinking in national security procedures, it is imperative that officers should continuously question the agency’s strengths while constantly pushing to break their limits.

Critical thinking is primarily fueled by thinking and challenging perceived thoughts to come up with better policies. Philips (2008) attests that:

“Questions define variables, state factors, outline tasks, clarify issues and express problems. Complex questioning drives thought beyond what is superficial and historical. Asking questions forces everyone involved in the decision to express and challenge preconceived notions and assumptions” (p. 4).

Utilizing Specific Information

Probing in critical thinking for the purpose of improving public safety warrants law enforcement officers to reevaluate their sources in terms of their validity, credibility and reliability.

More so, having an efficient homeland security agency is not only based on coming up with viable security policies and enforcing them but also engaging a high level critical thought and developing skills that would help contain security threats before they happen.

Incorporating Concepts

Critical thinking also goes hand in hand with problem solving and can go a long way in solving homeland security’s perplexities because the countermeasures to be derived are developed at an optimum level of thinking. Moreover, critical thinking can help to rank policies or solutions developed in terms of their effectiveness and reliability in measuring up to the goals and objectives of the agency.

Deriving inferences

One of the most prominent inferences derived from critical thinking is that in-depth questioning and analysis will not only ensure homeland security meets its desired goals and cut above mediocre solutions; it will ensure that a right solution to a given problem is arrived at.

This kind of scenario also breeds more ground for reassessment incase a given solution fails to work because more brainstorming can be engaged at a higher level of thought to come up with the precise solution to a given problem.

Making Assumptions

Many researchers have often deduced assumptions that critical thinking is associated with an internal drive to think and break comfort zones of thought. Nonetheless, the truth is not far away from this hypothesis because critical thinking engages a high level engagement of cognitive skills, a high level of interpretation, explanation, evaluation and reasoning beyond conventional thought (Philip, 2008).

It is quite possible for homeland security officers to achieve these desirable levels of thought in a natural way if they engage critical thought. In fact, there is no difference from this thought development with the development of artistic, athletic and leadership skills.

Deducing implications

Self reflection is a critical component that supplements critical thinking because it exposes the implications of critical thinking. At an advanced level, this level of critical thought is important to comprehend procedures and strategies together with monetary limitations and the likelihood of event occurrence.

With regard to homeland security, this thought process is important in assessing risks. Philip (2008 argues that:

“the use of critical thinking skills is purposeful — the self- regulatory review process results in interpretation, analysis, evaluation and inference, as well as explanation of the evidential, conceptual, methodological, or contextual considerations upon which that judgment is based” (p. 5).

Embodying a Point Of View

Proper inquiry cannot be made without the inclusion of critical thinking. Nonetheless, for this process to be entirely successful, it is important that homeland security officers take into consideration the evidence, method and context in which important security decisions are to be developed.

The thought process involved therefore goes beyond coming up with the most appropriate decisions because the process spills into engaging critical thinking to come up with better alternatives/decisions. State policies can therefore be better developed and be supported at all levels of governance.

Advantages of Critical Thinking for Homeland Security

Critical thinking enables homeland security officers to create viable security policies and options in a flexible manner that enables them device new strategies that are effective and practical for implementation.

Homeland security officials can also develop and analyze information better than the contemporary way of using fallacies which often misguides their actions. In this manner, they can come up with sound and persuasive arguments for reviewing national security policies.

If critical thinking is adopted in a sound manner, homeland security officers can develop sound policies that will prove effective in today’s age of changing security variables while developing consensus building ability with regard to complex security issues and also learning to build a motivating spirit around ideas that are viable and out of the ordinary.

Critical thinking also enables officers to focus on important issues and avoid debates that waste time or which are not focused on supporting the agency’s mandate. In close relation, the homeland security agency can save a lot of time in reducing the frequency of meetings.

Critical thinking being comprehensive and participative in nature will also help motivate all officers to contribute to the overall decision making process of the agency. Techniques to foster comprehensive decisions will also be developed while coming up with different scenarios for perceived threat analysis. Public officers will also be empowered with decision making skills by incorporating new models for assessing decisions.

This new attitude will supersede the traditional and contemporary attitude purporting that there is only one right solution to every problem faced. In this regard, psychological barriers that always impede the adoption of better and efficient policies will be removed, creating an opportunity for fresh ideas.

In the same regard, critical thinking will stop most officials from making important decisions without analyzing important facts or whether new reforms are in line with the mandate of the agency and whether they conform to the goals and objectives of the organization.

Critical thinking will also help the agency identify the pros and cons associated with each course of action they undertake. Moreover, it will enable the agency get a firmer public approval because critical thinking is not only comprehensive but also incorporates feedback from relevant parties.

Critical thinking will also help the agency prioritize their actions through the determination of critical factors. Although critical thinking is highly advantageous, instances where its adoption fails will provide a good opportunity for new opportunities to be developed because failed strategies provide groundwork for new experiences.

This therefore means that sober decision making after factoring in all relevant variables is likely to change poorly functioning courses of action, lead to the adoption of decisions without looking back, and initiate a progress into the future with a lot of enthusiasm because past events are deemed history.

Critical thinking skills are usually acquired and perfected with time. Perfection is usually achieved if individual actions are made in the context of critical thinking and practiced repetitively to create a new pattern of behavior. Critical thinking should especially be emphasized in law enforcement because of the sophisticated nature of security threats in today’s world.

Since homeland security’s core mandate is ensuring public safety, incorporating the experiences of knowledgeable individuals and incorporating new ideas developed from critical thinking (which are of an out of the box nature) is critical.

To eliminate the threat of terrorism by homeland security, the adoption of critical thinking skills has never been more important in the history of homeland security. More importantly, critical thinking skills should be strategically used in the operations of homeland security as a tool to develop different security scenarios.

Regardless of the level of threat posed by different security threats, it is important to counteract them and plan for their potentiality if they become real. For instance, the probability of an aeroplane crashing into the world trade centre should have been evaluated in terms of the number of planes that can potentially crash into the building and their potential effects.

Critical thinking also plays a fundamental role in establishing core ethical roles and determining the burden of legal responsibility because players are usually empowered to be more creative in their thought processes. Philips (2008) affirms that ‘everyone should take responsibility for their own personal creativity behaviors and skill development, whatever their role or level’ (p. 7).

This is especially true because as has been previously noted, terrorism has taken a whole new dimension, which warrants innovative strategies to solve such kind of problems through critical thinking, because homeland security has the responsibility of being proactive and analyzing the probability of occurrence of a terrorist attack.

This is still done even with the responsibility of tackling old kind of crimes and new kinds of security threats.

Through the adoption of creative thinking therefore, the agency will be able to overcome the challenge of dealing with new, perceived and emerging threats. From this analysis therefore, critical thinking proves to be an important tool homeland security could use to improve its services because it essentially helps them “think out of the box”.

Philips, W. (2008). Decision-Making Skills That Encompass a Critical Thinking Orientation For Law Enforcement Professionals . Web.

Vaughan-Williams, N. (2009). Critical Security Studies: An Introduction . New York: Taylor & Francis.

• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, April 1). Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement. https://ivypanda.com/essays/critical-thinking-in-homeland-security/

"Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement." IvyPanda , 1 Apr. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/critical-thinking-in-homeland-security/.

IvyPanda . (2024) 'Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement'. 1 April.

IvyPanda . 2024. "Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/critical-thinking-in-homeland-security/.

1. IvyPanda . "Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/critical-thinking-in-homeland-security/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Examples of Critical Thinking in Law Enforcement." April 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/critical-thinking-in-homeland-security/.

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New Law Enforcement Online Training: Ethical Decision Making and Interacting with Special Populations

April 16, 2024 4 min read

In the course of their duties, law enforcement officers interact with people with a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Successfully communicating with and serving these populations requires officers to have the knowledge and training to handle sensitive situations with care, professionalism, and tact.

To support this need and best serve our law enforcement partners, Vector Solutions is excited to announce the release of four new law enforcement online training courses focused on interacting with special populations, ethical decision making, and sexual assault investigations.

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Addressing various disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, Down syndrome, and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, this course offers insights into recognizing signs, understanding behaviors, and employing specialized approaches for these individuals. You will learn to navigate potential communication barriers, assess situations calmly, and tactically reposition yourself to ensure a non-threatening and appropriate response, enhancing your ability to serve the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities.

In this course, law enforcement officers will learn how to:

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