Veteran police attorney Bruce Praet discussed police liability, officer wellness and leadership during a recent episode of the Good Karma podcast, produced by the California Affiliated Risk Management Authorities (CARMA), where he shared lessons from nearly four decades defending law enforcement officers and agencies.
Praet, a former Orange County police officer who has spent nearly four decades defending law enforcement officers and agencies, said jurors enter the courtroom knowing how an encounter ended. The officer involved did not have that advantage.
“They got to read the last chapter of the book,” Praet said. “That officer out on the street at 2:00 in the morning has no idea if they’re dealing with the insomniac or the serial rapist we’ve been looking for.”
Praet joined California Affiliated Risk Management Authorities Executive Director Rob Kramer and police consultant Rob Patton to discuss the realities of police litigation, the financial consequences of claims and the steps agencies can take to better protect their officers and communities.
While many officer-involved shootings and other violent encounters cannot be prevented, Praet said agencies can reduce avoidable liability by maintaining hiring standards, providing current policies, training officers on those policies and preparing supervisors to address problems early.
He also emphasized that supporting officers cannot end when they are cleared to return to duty after a critical incident. Officers may carry the effects of shootings, fatal crashes and other traumatic calls for years, he said.
“You may handle a traffic collision where a small child is killed. You may then go to a robbery in progress. You might get in a shootout. You may be in a high-speed chase. And then you’ve got to go home and deal with your family,” Praet said.
Praet encouraged agencies to provide long-term wellness resources, recognize officers when they perform well and give first-line supervisors the training needed to coach employees rather than only documenting mistakes.
The discussion also covers how lawsuits affect agency budgets, why updated policies must be reinforced through training and how relationships with community members can help departments maintain public trust following a critical incident.
Praet co-founded Lexipol, the parent company of Police1, with risk management expert Gordon Graham in 2003.
