RISK MANAGEMENT IN SPECIFIC POLICE OPERATIONS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This article aims to examine how risk management has been addressed in the international scientific literature in the context of specific police operations. To this end, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was adopted as the methodological approach, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 protocol. Data were collected from the Scopus and Web of Science databases using English-language keywords related to risk management, police operations, and decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. Of the 1963 articles initially identified, 37 were selected for the final sample after the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria and the completion of the screening and eligibility stages. Data analysis combined qualitative content analysis with bibliometric techniques, enabling the identification of thematic patterns, predominant methodological approaches, and gaps in the scientific literature. The results indicate that risk management in police operations is predominantly conceptualized as a multidimensional process encompassing operational, organizational, human, legal-institutional, and technological factors. However, most studies focus on countries in the Global North, and there is a notable lack of research directly addressing highly complex and specific police operations, such as eviction and border operations. It is concluded that, although the international literature emphasizes the importance of risk management for operational effectiveness, the protection of fundamental rights, and institutional legitimacy, significant gaps remain regarding the systematic application of this approach to specific police operations. In this context, the study contributes by organizing the state of the art, highlighting structural limitations in current scientific production, and pointing to avenues for future theoretical and empirical advancement in the field