Supervision and Intervention within Early Intervention Systems: A Guide for Law Enforcement Chief Executives

摘要

The law enforcement officers who serve our communities are given great responsibility, are asked to face significant dangers, and are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical and respectful manner. Every day the vast majority of law enforcement officers fulfill these duties with the utmost professionalism and dedication. Yet, experience has shown that there are a small number of officers who unfortunately engage in behaviors detrimental to the community, the department, or themselves. Law enforcement agencies strive to identify these officers at the earliest opportunity to avoid potentially dangerous or harmful behaviors in the future.Early intervention systems (EIS) are a tool being adopted at an increasing rate by law enforcement agencies of all sizes and types. These systems are usually in the form of an electronic database, although some agencies find paper files are effective. The system captures specific pieces of information about officer behavior to help identify problematic behaviors early on. Some of the more common data elements collected by EIS include an officers use of sick leave; the number and type of community complaints; and the number and type of use-of-force incidents. Although many agencies collect the same type of data, the overall purpose of their systems can be quite different. Regardless of the reasons for implementation, EIS can be a powerful, multifaceted tool for law enforcement agencies.