Introduction

This chapter sets the rationale for this book and details why the author decided it was needed. It outlines why just focusing on the deaths of officers is insufficient to understand the lethal risks they face. Knowledge of “near-miss” events where officers were nearly killed – or faced life-threatening situations – is also fundamental to understanding and responding to risks. Several examples are provided of “near-miss” situations encountered by Aotearoa New Zealand police and traffic officers. This chapter presents the author’s definition of “lethal risk”, which is used to shape the work that follows.