Abstract
Purpose. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the risk management programs implemented within the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department by determining if risk management programs have reduced the cost of civil litigation and modified those behaviors of police officers and deputy sheriffs that lead to civil claims and lawsuits. Methodology. A review and analysis of the cost of civil litigations, as well as the number of personnel complaints, claims, and lawsuits for each organization, were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the programs. The first phase of this study consisted of a yearly comparison of the cost of civil litigation, the number of claims, and the number of lawsuits for each organization for the years 1994 through 1998. The second phase examined the behavior of the police officers and deputy sheriffs to determine if there was a direct relationship between personnel complaints and the cost of civil litigation. The third and final phase of the study consisted of querying the executive officers, by survey questionnaire, to gain their perspective of the efficiency and effectiveness of their risk management programs. Theoretical framework. The literature review has been constructed in a manner that provides law enforcement professionals the necessary insight for the understanding of how policies and programs are developed, the understanding of how individual and organizational behaviors are related to the formation of policy and program development, and, finally, the integration of the risk management concept as a program. Findings and conclusions. To sum up this research is to say that the risk management programs in the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs' Department are in the developmental stage, even though the organizations may believe the programs are fully established. Recommendations. While the theory behind risk management can be linked to reduction in civil litigation, the evidence is not as strong or as conclusive as it could be due to certain program deficiencies. Therefore, more research should be done to validate the effectiveness of risk management programs.