Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol
Zero-Based Law Enforcement
Part Eighteen
Zero-Based Law Enforcement would include law enforcement entities reviewing past decisions and previous actions of law enforcement officers. Where mistakes were made – whether they were done with no ill intent or were done with purposeful intent – those mistakes would be acknowledged.
In all cases, apologies for those mistakes would be issued.
Sincere apologies.
Apologies that go beyond words.
Where possible, those mistakes would be rectified.
Rectified with actions.
Such actions may be as modest as publicly stating that a person arrested for a specific crime was actually arrested in error. That the specific person was innocent of any criminal activity. That public apology would be made by the law enforcement entity involved and each individual law enforcement officer involved in the specific arrest made in error.
The law enforcement entity involved in this specific arrest made in error would then take all feasible actions to rectify all direct consequences of the arrest made in error.
For example, that law enforcement entity would take all necessary steps to have the arrest record of the specific individual arrested in error expunged from all databases.
For example, if the specific individual hired an attorney to defend themselves because of the arrest made in error, all costs associated with that legal assistance would be paid by the law enforcement entity.
For example, if the name and background of the specific individual was broadcast, printed, or streamed through the news media because of the arrest made in error, the law enforcement entity would ask each of the news media entities to update all news reports to include the apologies from the law enforcement entity and each law enforcement officer involved in the arrest. If one or more of the news media entities declines to do so, the law enforcement entity would place an advertisement of substantial size in each of those specific news media entities; the advertisement would include the apologies of the law enforcement entity and each law enforcement officer involved in the specific arrest made in error.
Beyond dealing with each specific news media entity that included the name and background of the specific individual arrested in error, the law enforcement entity would take all possible actions to remove the information about the arrest made in error from the internet. In addition, the law enforcement entity would utilize a variety of actions to have the apologies of the law enforcement entity and each law enforcement officer involved in the specific arrest placed at the top of all results issued by search engines and by artificial intelligence programs.
For example, if the specific individual arrested in error had lost their job – by being fired, by missing work because of the arrest, or for any other reason related to the arrest – the law enforcement entity would provide the individual with a payment equal to three times the amount of the income lost because of losing the job and would take all steps necessary to have the specific individual get their job back, if that is what the specific individual wants. If the law enforcement entity is not able to get the job back for the individual – or if the individual does not want to return to that job – the law enforcement entity would work with the individual to secure a comparable job with an equal or higher income. In the interim, the law enforcement entity would pay the individual what would have been their income had the arrest not been made in error.
Similar steps would be taken in situations where an individual was investigated in error and suffered consequences because of the actions of the law enforcement entity involved and each individual law enforcement officer involved in the specific investigation made in error.
Similar steps would be taken in situations where an individual was detained in error and suffered consequences because of the actions of the law enforcement entity involved and each individual law enforcement officer involved in the specific detainment made in error.
More extensive steps would be taken in situations where an individual was jailed because of the arrest made in error and suffered consequences because of the jailing that resulted because of the actions of the law enforcement entity involved and each individual law enforcement officer involved in the specific arrest made in error.
Zero-Based Law Enforcement would have as key components the need to apologize and strive to correct – to correct as much as possible – all consequences of investigations, detainments, and arrests made in error.
The incentive for law enforcement entities and law enforcement officers through Zero-Based Law Enforcement would be to minimize the likelihood of investigations, detainments, and arrests being made in error.
The next news column in this series on Zero-Based Law Enforcement will focus on how law enforcement entities would upgrade standards.
Peirspictiochtai Ar A Saol – Gaelic – Irish – for "Perspectives On Life" is a column focused on aspects of accountability and responsibility as well as ways people look at life.
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© 2026 Richard McDonough
