Annual Administration Reviews: A Strategic Risk Management Tool for Law Enforcement Agencies

In December 2025, CIS launched a new law enforcement risk management initiative, the Law Enforcement Annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire: a structured self-assessment process designed to strengthen internal controls, improve operational practices, and reduce liability exposure. This initiative aligns with CIS’ strategic goal to mitigate risk and reduce law enforcement-related claims.

Self-assessments, often referred to as Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), are widely used across industries and increasingly recognized in public safety as essential tools for identifying vulnerabilities before they escalate into claims or litigation.

A 2023 Naval Postgraduate School study found that law enforcement agencies often lack clear guidance on agency-wide risk management and that traditional approaches focused narrowly on legal liability fail to address broader operational risks. The study recommended structured internal reviews to build resilience and reduce exposures.

CIS Law Enforcement Annual Review

The CIS Law Enforcement Annual Review centers on a self-assessment questionnaire developed in collaboration with CIS Underwriting. It allows agencies to evaluate internal procedures, staffing, training, and funding needs. The Law Enforcement Best Practices Assessments are completed by CIS Law Enforcement Risk Management Consultants once every three years. The self-assessment questionnaire is intended to be completed between the Best Practices Assessments. The results will be included in the new CIS Law Enforcement Best Practices Assessment scoring and may lead to additional premium savings. CIS Law Enforcement Risk Management Consultants will distribute the questionnaire annually and provide support throughout the process.

This initiative is more than a compliance exercise; it is a strategic opportunity. Agencies that conduct regular self-assessments are better positioned to reduce the frequency and severity of claims, align with CIS’ mission of promoting safer communities, build stronger internal culture and increase operational resilience, and qualify for underwriting discounts.

As the Institute of Operational Risk notes, RCSAs are “a health check-up for your organization,” helping agencies spot and evaluate risks before they impact operations.

CIS is committed to supporting members through practical, impactful risk management strategies. By participating in the Annual Self-Assessment, agencies not only improve their own operations but also contribute to a stronger, more resilient public safety network. Results from the annual review may be used to determine eligibility for premium credits, contributing to overall cost savings for the agency.

For questions or support, please reach out to your CIS Law Enforcement Risk Management Consultant.

LAW ENFORCEMENT BEST PRACTICES ASSESSMENT

Recent changes to CIS Law Enforcement Risk Management include a new Law Enforcement Best Practices Assessment. To enhance consistency, all Law Enforcement Best Practices Assessments will now include a numerical risk score. The score is intended to provide an objective method for evaluating risk severity and to support informed decision-making, prioritization and mitigation efforts. The numerical scores will be used as a factor in determining whether an agency is eligible for credit on their premium or the application of a surcharge to the premium.

SCORES ARE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:

Operations section:

• 100% score will receive a 2% credit on annual premiums.

• 90-99% scores will receive a 1% credit on annual premiums.

• 80-89% scores will receive no credit.

• 70-79% scores will receive a 1% surcharge on annual premiums.

• Scores below 70% will incur a 2% surcharge on annual premiums.

Administration section: Scored separately using the same percentages as above.

Accreditation: Agencies accredited through the Northwest Accreditation Alliance (NWAA) or the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will receive a 1% credit on annual premiums (there is no surcharge for unaccredited agencies).

Total credit is up to 5%.

Total surcharge is up to 4%.

Law Enforcement Annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire and Annual Administrative Review

Here's what agencies can expect:

• The Law Enforcement Annual Self-Assessment form will be required for all agencies that completed the new Best Practices Assessment within the past year. This is an opportunity for agencies to report updates that occur between the formal Law Enforcement Best Practices Assessment (completed once every three years).

• Law Enforcement members will complete the Annual Administration Review self-assessment and return to their CIS Law Enforcement Risk Management Consultant.