Chapter Seven Patrol: The Backbone of Policing Police in America Chapter Seven Patrol: The Backbone of Policing
Patrol: The Backbone of Policing Function of Patrol Crime prevention Maintain feelings of public safety Available for service Organization and Delivery of Patrol Number of Officers Distribution of Officers Assignments Location – Hot Spots
Types of Patrol Patrol One officer/two officer cars Foot Auto Motorcycle Bicycle One officer/two officer cars
The Communications Center Modern Communications Technology Information Processing Prioritizing Calls Operators Dispatchers 911 Systems
911 System Only ½ of all calls to 911 result in a dispatch Operators ask questions of callers Operators assess situation Operators decide how many and which officers to dispatch Patrol officers responding to calls experience great uncertainty
Police Research Historical Context Calls for Service Systematic Study of Police Patrol Response Time
Effectiveness of Patrol Kansas City Preventative Patrol Experiment Controversial results Challenged traditional assumptions about patrol Newark Foot Patrol Experiment Crime Citizen attitudes Improving Patrol Differential Response to calls Telephone Reporting Units 311 Nonemergency Numbers Non-English 911 Call Services Reverse 911 Computers and Video Cameras Police Aids or Cadets Directed Patrol