Organizational Accidents and Deadly Police-Involved Violence: Some Thoughts on Extending Theory, Expanding Research, and Improving Police Practice

In recent years, violence by and against the police has been examined from the perspective of organizational accident theory. This article extends that work by reviewing some key ideas, identifying some limitations of organizational accident theory for understanding police-involved violence, and detailing some specific research topics for future empirical exploration. It concludes by offering some specific policy and practice recommendations to reduce police-involved violence.