The National Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss Reporting System

• In Event: Safety, Health and Wellness in Criminal Justice:  Data from 9-1-1 Operators, Police, and Correctional Officers

Abstract

In October 2014, the Police Foundation established the Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) Near Miss Reporting System (www.leonermiss.org), a national, online reporting system that allows law enforcement personnel to voluntarily and anonymously share “near misses.” A near miss incident is defined as an event in which harm is avoided because of a break in the chain of events, due to intervention or chance. Near misses occur more frequently than adverse events, and early research demonstrated that for every 600 near misses, only one major injury occurs. The LEO Near Miss reporting system serves as the only reporting system for all U. S. law enforcement agencies. The Police Foundation developed the national reporting system after researching other industry near miss systems, consulting with industry near miss experts, and partnering with law enforcement agencies and organizations to develop the reporting platform. The system collects incidents and conditions, specifically, that could have resulted in serious injury, fatality, property damage, or crisis. The incidents are analyzed and lessons learned published in order to prevent other law enforcement personnel, as well as the community, from incurring serious harm. Near miss analysis and lessons learned can be used to inform future policy, training, and equipment needs.

Author

• David Donald Waltemeyer, Police Foundation