Abstract
This chapter examines the complexities and issues surrounding policing incidents where death or serious injury results. This often occurs when police have responded to individuals in crisis that may be mentally ill, suicidal, or under the influence of a substance. It is suggested that police agencies require an approach formulated by way of sentinel review, when responding to incidents that have the potential for serious consequences and bad outcomes. Sentinel event reviews by police agencies can serve to enhance the police response through an analytical process that addresses the critical aspects of a major event resulting in death or serious harm. Often used in the healthcare and aviation environments concerning death or serious injury, sentinel event reviews analyze systems, indentifying weaknesses and detailing possible solutions to prevent future occurrences. This review process can assist in the development of system changes as a preventative measure in reducing the risk of adverse circumstances while promoting enhanced service delivery by the police.
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Parent, R., Parent, C. (2021). Sentinel Event Reviews in the United States and Canada: Enhancing Service Delivery to the Community. In: Albrecht, J.F., den Heyer, G. (eds) Enhancing Police Service Delivery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61452-2_9
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