An integrated approach to the analysis of causes of crime/public disorder—A case study for the “Tlahuac†incident

The article by Santos-Reyes et al. (2009) [1] on the cause analysis of the “Tlahuac†incident demonstrates the applicability of the MORT method to a problem concerning crime/public disorder. Although the idea to expand the use of MORT to the complete root cause analysis (RCA) using the predefined tree MORT is natural, at least three deficiencies are expected: (1) limited applicability to causal factors identified in the incident, (2) insufficient depth of cause analysis, and (3) insufficient coverage of safety culture. Therefore, an innovative integrated approach is recommended that extends the abilities of the RCA. The outline of reanalysis illustrates the application of the integrated approach and demonstrates its important features: (i) identification of causal factor processes; (ii) the presence of two cause levels under the root cause level; and (iii) the application of a STAMP-type technique to the causal factors and cause levels where the RCA is not applicable. The integrated approach is able to identify a wider and deeper set of causes than root cause analysis. It is suitable for the cause analysis of causal factors occurring in unorganized and uncontrolled processes, which are considered to be the special features typical for incidents of crime or public disorder.