Workshop · October 2026
What risk managers should know about working with police
David Clovis spent five years as a police officer before leading a California liability pool for two decades. Here is his advice on earning trust with command staff, understanding where police losses come from, and closing the gaps risk managers can control.
Guest expert
David Clovis
Chief Consultant, Clovis Consultants & Associates
35+ years in public sector risk management
- Police Officer, City of Fremont
- GM of the California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority
- Past Chairman, NRPA Pacific Risk Management School
- Past President CAJPA and PARMA
The session
A former police officer who built his career on the risk side
David Clovis started his career as a police officer with the City of Fremont, California, and is a graduate of the Oakland Police Academy. An injury moved him into safety and then risk management. For two decades he was General Manager of the California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority, an excess liability pool for more than 100 cities and JPAs. He has served as president of PARMA and CAJPA.
In October 2026 he joined us for a 90-minute workshop on working with police departments as a risk manager. He walked through cases he handled, including the 2014 Stockton bank robbery pursuit, and shared what he wants every risk manager to understand about the police side. The recording includes news footage of real incidents.
Watch the full session, view the slides, or read the takeaways below.
Key takeaways
13 takeaways from the session
David's advice in four themes, from understanding police culture to closing the gaps in informal mutual aid agreements.
01–03
Start by understanding the police mission
Police work runs on a different mission and culture than other departments, so standard risk tools need adjusting.
- 01
Seek first to understand
David's top lesson borrows Stephen Covey's fifth habit: seek first to understand, then to be understood. Police departments work differently from public works or parks, and a risk manager who hasn't learned how officers do their jobs will struggle to get recommendations heard.
The takeaway: Learn the department's mission and daily realities before you recommend changes.
- 02
Police can't avoid their highest risks
On the standard risk matrix, you avoid exposures that are both frequent and severe. Police can't. They can't skip a kidnapping call or let a robbery suspect go because a pursuit is risky, and even contracting with a county for police services leaves your agency on the hook.
The takeaway: Reduce police risk through training and procedures, since avoiding or transferring it is rarely an option.
- 03
Culture outweighs the rulebook
Departments have SOPs and policy manuals, often from providers like Lexipol. But David quoted Warren Buffett: "Culture, more than rule books, determines how an organization behaves." A department led by an elected sheriff may also answer to voters in ways a city department doesn't.
The takeaway: Learn the department's culture and work through it, because a new policy alone won't change how officers act.
04–06
Build the relationship before you need it
Credibility with command staff comes from showing up, offering help, and bringing data instead of blame.
- 04
Earn a seat at the table
At one agency, David had a standing liaison with a police captain, and they reviewed incidents and employee issues together. He recommends meeting with command staff at least quarterly and showing up when incidents happen. During the 1991 Oakland Hills fire, he was at the command center with his police and fire chiefs.
The takeaway: Meet with command staff at least quarterly, and be present during incidents, not only after.
- 05
Make deposits before you need a withdrawal
David describes a "banking relationship" with his police chief. By bringing resources and support over time, he built enough trust that a hard conversation didn't break the relationship. One risk manager he worked with had funding to buy tools for officers, which built goodwill fast.
The takeaway: Offer resources, training, and support early so the relationship holds when you have to push back.
- 06
Bring comparative data, not blame
"Police love data," David said. Telling a department it costs the city more than anyone else doesn't work, but comparing its losses with peer agencies does. His slides suggest a rhythm: annual loss trend reviews, a quarterly vehicle accident review board, and monthly safety and accident reviews.
The takeaway: Review loss data with police on a set schedule and compare it with peer agencies to find causes together.
“Seek first to understand their mission, how they do things, then to be understood when you provide input. It can save you time. It can save you a lot.”
David ClovisChief Consultant, Clovis Consultants & Associates07–10
Know where police losses come from
Litigation drives much of the cost, and police leaders need to understand why a case settles.
- 07
Expect police to drive a large share of losses
David's rough estimate is that law enforcement accounts for 35% to 60% of a typical city's losses. Many police cases are civil rights claims in federal court, where state tort caps don't apply and an agency that loses also pays the plaintiff's attorney fees.
The takeaway: Factor federal exposure, with no caps and attorney fees on top, into every settle-or-try decision.
- 08
Bring commanders into settlement talks
Officers take pride in their work, and chiefs often push for trial when they believe they did nothing wrong. David brings commanders into mediation and explains the math. He has watched captains conclude that settling was the only sensible choice once they saw what a verdict could cost.
The takeaway: Involve the right commanders in settlement discussions and explain the reasoning behind each decision.
- 09
Some cases are worth trying, so read the jury pool
Asked whether a case can be worth trying even when legal fees may exceed a settlement, David said yes, with guidance from counsel who know the local and national climate. He recalled a trial in Oakland held amid tension over the Oscar Grant shooting, and said his team should have weighed that climate before going in.
The takeaway: When you weigh a trial, ask counsel how recent high-profile cases will shape your jury pool.
- 10
Immunities help, but they're narrow and changing
State immunities can protect agencies, for example in pursuits that follow state vehicle code requirements, and may get a case dismissed. They often don't help with excessive force or wrongful detention claims. Qualified immunity protects individual officers, and some states have recently expanded it while others have narrowed it.
The takeaway: Know your state's immunity rules, and make sure pursuit policies meet the requirements that trigger them.
“When it comes to law enforcement, set your aim as high as you can. Work with them. Build the relationship.”
David ClovisChief Consultant, Clovis Consultants & Associates11–13
Close the gaps you can control
Informal agreements, investigations, and training are where risk managers can make the biggest difference.
- 11
Put handshake mutual aid agreements in writing
State-mandated mutual aid has clear rules, but chiefs often make informal deals with neighboring agencies, sometimes "written on the back of a napkin." If your SWAT team helps a neighbor and goes to the wrong address, your agency is likely on the hook. For smaller agencies with little leverage, David's advice is to start with your own chief and understand exactly what you depend on.
The takeaway: Find informal assistance agreements and turn them into written ones that set out responsibilities, scene control, and indemnity.
- 12
Use police investigators to find root causes
Police have some of the best investigators in any city. Ask them to investigate officer injuries, report near misses, and flag hazards like broken streetlights. Coach them to record facts rather than expert conclusions: one officer's report claiming city lighting didn't meet standards had to be discredited on the stand.
The takeaway: Point police investigation skills at root causes and near misses, and keep reports to observed facts.
- 13
Train hard where small mistakes cause severe losses
David's training list covers de-escalation, search and seizure, arrest procedures, vehicle operations, and firearms, which he listed twice on purpose. Small changes work too: after an officer in the BART shooting said he meant to draw his Taser, agencies moved Tasers to the off hand. Lighter woven duty belts also cut back injuries from 50 to 60 pounds of gear.
The takeaway: Back training on high-severity tasks, and look for equipment or procedure changes that prevent repeat losses.
Session slides
View David's slides
The full 48-slide deck covers the risk management process, police exposures, immunities, mutual aid, officer safety, workers' compensation, meeting cadence, and David's survival tips.
Slide 1 · Law enforcement risk management (opens the slides in a new tab) 
Slide 7 · The risk matrix (opens the slides in a new tab) 
Slide 12 · Law enforcement culture (opens the slides in a new tab) 
Slide 28 · Mutual indemnity and mutual aid (opens the slides in a new tab) 
Slide 36 · Meeting cadence with police (opens the slides in a new tab) 
Slide 43 · Survival tips (opens the slides in a new tab)
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