Matt over at Spartan Cops has an interesting piece on “Officer Created Jeopardy.”

I think one of the major issues that contributes to this problem is how tactics and policies get reviewed. A standard operating procedure (at either the tactical or policy level) is an excellent idea and should be both implemented and trained, but it should also be periodically reviewed. Without systematic reviews these things quickly turn into the “that is the way we have always done it” dogma and we loose sight of the reason why we we should follow a given procedure or utilize a specific tactic.

Changes in equipment, staffing, the law, and even the community being policed all have an influence on what the optimum method for accomplishing your objectives are.