Abstract: Critical incidents in law enforcement often either lead to a great divide between police agencies and the communities they serve, or they exacerbate a volatile relationship that already exists. Critical incidents may cause outrage within the community due to: misconceptions about the incident, extreme distrust of police, allegations of police misconduct, or racial tension. In an effort to improve and enhance organizational police and community resilience following a critical incident, a case study comparison of four recent high-profile critical incidents seeks to answer the following question: What lessons can we learn from police critical incidents and how do the events surrounding them affect police and community resilience? Analysis of the cases identifies specific factors that affect resiliency among police agencies and communities during and after critical incidents. The analysis leads to recommendations for police agencies to enhance police-community relations and resilience.

A seminal piece in our understanding of how high-profle cases of police violence can affect communities, Desmond, Papachristos, and Kirk (2016), found that resident calls to the police via 911 significantly declined after the beating of Frank Jude. These effects were especially prevalent in primarily Black neighborhoods. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to replicate the original results in a different city using a fatal incident of police violence. We also extended the methods of original study by further disaggregating the follow-up efects to include officer-initiated events, which capture more discretionary activity for patrol officers. Our results confirm the original findings, with resident calls to 911 declining in majority-Black neighborhoods after a deadly incident of police violence, signifying a decay in community trust and legitimacy. Importantly, we also fnd an immediate and striking decline in officer-initiated activity after the same incident in majority-Black neighborhoods. Conversely, White neighborhoods experienced a slight increase. This study reinforces and adds further context to a growing body of research that explains how incidents of police violence can affect the actions of community residents and the police, including how we conceptualize and measure the concept of “de-policing.”

When natural disasters and emergencies strike, the short- and long-term effects of these events on first responders—the very people society relies upon in the midst of a catastrophe—are often overlooked. Policing in Natural Disasters provides a comprehensive analysis of the major challenges faced by law enforcement officers during extreme crisis events. Terri Adams and Leigh Anderson examine the dilemmas police departments face as well as the impact of the disasters on the professional and personal lives of the officers. Case studies explore the response and recovery phases of emergencies including Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Santiago, Chile, and the Superstorm Tornado Outbreak in 2011. Policing in Natural Disasters was inspired by the personal accounts of triumph and tragedy shared by first responders. It provides an understanding of first-responder behaviors during disasters, as well as the preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery policy implications for first responders and emergency managers. As first responders must frequently cope with stress, uncertainty, and threats to their health and safety during high-consequence events, Adams and Anderson provide lessons from first-hand experiences of police officers that can lead to better management in times of crisis.

How chiefs can safeguard officer mental health before and after mass casualty events This handbook is intended to be read by police chiefs and sheriffs throughout the country.

The shooting attack on the Pulse nightclub in June 2016 claimed the lives of 49 individuals and injured 58 more. It was an event of extreme violence, carnage, and confusion. Yet the Orlando Police Department (OPD) performed with great courage and professionalism, averting a potentially greater loss of life. Recognizing that there were many lessons to be shared and learned from this incident, the OPD asked the COPS Office to conduct a Critical Incident Review of the attack. This Police Foundation report on the incident review details multiple aspects of the attack and response, including leadership, collaboration, tactics, equipment, training, emergency medical care, officer safety, public information, and community relationships. In so doing, it identifies best practices for planning, training, and procedures in all areas of response to a similar attack or mass casualty event and can serve as a valuable guide to law enforcement or first responders seeking to prepare for similar incidents.

One of the most hotly debated subjects in current events is the use of force by police personnel. In recent years, protests have taken place over most of the United States after several high-profile cases in which excessive force during arrests was claimed. This volume examines opinions surrounding police action in the United States and abroad, such as arguments in favor of or against controversial policies such as stop-and-frisk. Through this wide spectrum of experiences, students are encouraged to reach their own conclusions using the information they have read and synthesized.