Problem is, people know that they screw up but they're just human.
Police aren't allowed to be human. Because if they are, we might feel compelled to understand them.
They're like Jews in that respect. They're inferior morally, the stereotype goes, but superior in intellect and cunning. So with police--they're morally inferior, but should be superhuman. All they do is intentional because they're just bad, and they really have to be perfect and omniscient.
The thing about incomplete information, it's main distinguishing feature, is that it's incomplete. The thing about chaos, it's main distinguishing feature, is that it's chaotic.
The correct inference is to assume that humans make mistakes, take steps to avoid mistakes, and when looking at chaotic and incomplete information is to wait for order and more complete information. The error isn't theirs, it's ours for being impatient, demanding, and intolerant. Before you analyze data, you need to understand your data, and one part of that is knowing its strengths and weaknesses.
(Red Dwarf: "Marooned", because an RD reference is always appropriate ...
Holly: Well, the thing about a black hole - its main distinguishing feature - is it's black. And the thing about space, the colour of space, your basic space colour, is black. So how are you supposed to see them?
Rimmer: But five of them? . How can you manage to miss five black holes?)
Holly: It's always the way, innit? You hang around for three million years in deep space and there hasn't been one, then all of a sudden five turn up at once.)
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