Clarifying (wicked) safety problems with a network analysis tool

Abstract

In safety issues, the police often deal with a normative side of knowledge. They describe an appropriate way of behaviour. However, many studies analysing safety problems emphasize the importance of contextual behaviour. This article uses the study of safety in Estonia as an example to test a framework that helps clarify discovered problems and enhance the quality of information needed for decision making in policing, in the context of complexity and uncertainty. The analytical framework used, which was rooted in policy network theory clarified a problem, opened a context, and revealed a lot of hidden data. The revealed games, arenas, and networks from the Estonian study are the specific results of this study, and proof of the value of the used framework in this analysis. Improved quality of the information in using an appropriate tool from outside the field of police is the most important and forward-looking outcome of this study.