PART 3 The Philosophy and Concept

Patrol Methods and Strategies

Types of Patrol

Philosophy of Police Patrol

The PREVENTION OF CRIME is a fundamental role of the police force. The preventive role of the individual police officer on his beat is a basic element of modern police service. The mere presence of a properly organized and efficiently operating patrol force is conceded to be one of the greatest crime deterrents thus far developed and appreciated by organized society.

In any police agency or unit, the PATROL FORCE is the single largest operating element. It is considered as THE BACKBONE AS WELL AS THE CORE OF THE POLICE ORGANIZATION. All other police service emanates from patrol for the sole purpose of supporting and enhancing its crime prevention activities.

Undeniably, an effective patrol force lessens the necessity for ORGANIZING specialized operating units; the tendency to glamorize specialization at the sacrifice of patrol is diminished. Because the work role of the patrol force, day-in, and day-out, bring them in direct contact with all segments of the community; they are the visible representative of the police unit.

Every local government and chief of police is cognizant that the patrol function is the most important element of the police agency. Hence, policies that attract and retain highly qualified and interested officers and personnel should be adopted. To achieve maximum performance, patrol operations must be effectively organized and professionally managed.

Concept of Police Patrol

In recent years, the police mission in contemporary society has become incredibly varied and complex and law enforcement agencies are growing, and evolving at a rapid pace (to compete with its enemy-lawless elements). Patrol operation remains, however, the most important of all police services.

All other police services and activities exist for the exclusive purpose of supporting and enhancing the patrol effort enumerated.

Patrol is the essence of the police function.
The patrol force is the single largest element in the police organization, and the action & well-being, and on the accomplishment of police goals & objectives.
The patrol function is also the most visible form of police activity, furthering the community's well being, security and, safety, and perception of the level of local government services.
It represents the police agency to the society/community so they must have to perform duties and responsibilities to the highest standard of police performance efficiency.
The individual patrol officer plays a major role in determining the quality of justice in a given community. Errors made at the level of the patrol function may have significant negative effects on the remainder of the criminal justice process.
Police administrators must recognize and emphasize that the patrol officer is the most important member of the police organization and that all other police activities must be supportive to or of the patrol mission.

PATROL METHODS AND STRATEGIES

Many years ago the patrol function comprises the bulk of the police agency's resources, and the police patrol officers constituted the mainstay of the police patrol effort, but due to limited patrol operation support and resources, patrol officer becomes frustrated and even disgusted at the lack of attention given to them. The consequence is that they patrol their beats for the sake of compliance without any productive purpose or objectives. Worse, some patrol officers resort to mulcting, extortion, and even conniving with criminals to commit a certain crime resulting in erosion of today's police images and credibility.

The strategic approach basically is crime prevention. However, observation-wise many of our today's police units focus much of their attention on specialized units rather than building up and improving our police patrol operations methods, techniques, approaches, and strategies. POLICE UNITS, WHETHER LARGE OR SMALL, MUST STRIVE TO IMPROVE, DEVELOP, UPDATE, AND REINFORCE their patrol functions' capacity and capability and through the use of a variety of methods.

No single police patrol strategy will work well in all cases or in every police jurisdiction because the choice of a particular strategy or combination of strategies to be applied will depend upon:

Available resources of the unit concern-men, money, machine, and material.
The particular crime problems, according to time and place and based on crime situation map and report monthly.
The culture, tradition, and characteristics of the community.
The imagination and determination of the Chief of Police and Patrol officials in developing patrol programs to meet the needs of his department & community.

While it is true that the patrol officer cannot detect the thinking or desire of the criminal yet, he can destroy the OPPORTUNITY to commit a crime by his ever-presence, a patrol strategy known as the PSYCHOLOGY OF OMNIPRESENCE. The psychology of omnipresence, as an initial police patrol strategy, is to establish the aura of police presence in the community (maximum police visibility with public satisfaction and support), and is best exemplified and effectively applied in:

Patrol's crime prevention activities by uniformed foot policemen as well as mobile patrol crew in a conspicuously marked radio-equipped patrol car.
The strategic objective of omnipresence is for:
- The patrol officer to be seen alertly and constantly patrolling so as to establish a highly visible police presence; hence, to make presence psychologically be felt in spite of his physical absence thereby creating:
  - The feeling of security and safety;
  - Feeling of fear and hesitancy on the part of the would be violator or criminally inclined individual to commit a crime;
  - Feeling of confidence that the police are constantly alert and available to respond to any situation at a moment's notice.

- Gain people's trust and confidence: The above activity can be STRATEGICALLY applied and implemented by means of:
  - Preventive Patrol
  - Re-Active Patrol
  - Proactive Patrol
  - Repressive Patrol

CLASSIFICATIONS OF PATROL SYSTEM

THE PREVENTIVE PATROL

A preventive patrol is a form of police service that directly attempts to eliminate opportunities for misconduct. It involves walking or driving around the area and keeping a lookout for potential problems. Preventive patrol purports to increase police presence in areas of expected crime in order to act as a deterrent.

THE REACTIVE PATROL

Reactive Patrol is a patrol activity that consists of driving around the district waiting for something to happen. It’s very difficult from the stereotype old-time policemen who just seat around in the precinct playing cards while waiting for calls. It is said that when a patrol system used by a country is reactive, it needs to ensure that the police have the capability to respond to a call faster and the proximity of the police precinct or sub-station is geographically distributed to afford the police to get to the scene quickly.

THE PROACTIVE PATROL (a.k.a. Active)

Proactive patrol – an alternative patrol system which means the fielding of the field units in their respective area of responsibility which prescribed objective and veritable tasks scheduled for the day to augment the calls and other on sight activities that make up the officer’s day.

DIRECTED PATROL (Repressive Patrol)

Directed patrol is a tactic used by law enforcement officers to try to prevent crime before it happens, from running traffic enforcement on a street where speeding is a concern to keeping surveillance on a house in a neighborhood where drugs deals are occurring to paying close attention to any other public safety issue. The areas that are focused on may come from a statistical analysis, which identifies problem areas based on calls for service or officer-initiated investigations. A directed patrol is a proactive form of policing, unlike reactive patrol, where law enforcement responds to a crime as the result of a complaint by a citizen or a call. Usually, an arrest may resort to this activity.

RANDOM PATROL

The Random Patrol consists of sending officers to patrol a given area at random times and intervals. It is done simply to prevent crime in that area, not because that area has been experiencing any particular problems with excessive crime. This can involve officers in cars or those who are doing the classic activity of “walking a beat.”

TYPES OF PATROL

The most important function of police patrol is to serve the public just as the police department’s actual field contact with the people whether law-abiding or criminal. The type of patrol refers to the various means of getting from one place to another in the district. None of them are intended to isolate the patrol officers from the people they serve and protect. The type may depend on the resources of the states to equip the police with the necessary and best tools for this purpose.

FOOT PATROL – its method consists of the fixed post, line, beat, and random patrol. The foot is restricted to small areas and is used to deal with special problems prevention and repression that cannot be adequately handled by the officers in radio care. Fixed foot patrol is usually used for traffic surveillance, parades, and special events. Moving foot patrol is considerable foot traffic, as in business and shopping centers, bars, taverns, high-crime, and special hazards areas and on places where there are many multiple-family dwellings. This is the oldest yet EXTENSIVE but rewarding because you can deal face to face with the community

MOTORCYCLE PATROL – Primarily used for traffic control and enforcement their speed and maneuverability make them indispensable police vehicles.

BICYCLE & SMALL VEHICLE PATROL - The bicycle has been used in many countries as a simple and inexpensive means of silent transportation to carry police officers throughout their patrol district. Small vehicles may be used for routine patrol to replace or augment foot or automobile patrol under conditions when such vehicles are more practical than conventional modes of travel. The versatility of small vehicles makes them indispensable for covering crowded areas and places unreachable by automobile patrol.
AUTOMOBILE PATROL – The automobile is the most extensively used and the most effective means of transportation for police patrol. Equipped with the latest kinds of police gear, it provides a rapid, safe, and efficient, means of transportation under average operating conditions.

BOAT AND AMPHIBIANS VEHICLES PATROL – In areas surrounded by water including inland waterways, various types of sea watercraft may be commissioned for police service especially where the illegal smuggling of undocumented people and illegal contraband has become common-place.

PLAIN CLOTHES PATROL – This type of assignment is particularly effective for “saturation coverage” of high crime areas. It provides extra coverage without alarming the occupants or signaling the culprits with an unusual number of policemen. For this kind of patrol, policemen should dress to fit the occasions and wear whatever clothing is the mode of the day and fits the type of activity to be covered.

HORSE PATROL – Horses may be used for certain patrol problems in jurisdictions that certain large park areas or similar places where automobiles either cannot go or may be forbidden. Mobile patrol cars cannot be expected to race across fields or wooded areas but horses provide the best mobility in these situations.

HELICOPTER & FIXED WING or AIRCRAFT PATROL – fixed-wing aircraft have very little flexibility in congested metropolitan areas. They are however excellent for traffic control in long stretches of highways, for search, and surveillance, and other special missions. The helicopter, on the other hand, has the advantage of being able to travel at low speeds, hover if necessary, and land even in inaccessible areas because of its special takeoff and landing capabilities. It is USEFUL for rescue, medical evacuations, general patrol, criminal apprehension, crime prevention and repression, emergency transportation, surveillance, and other activities. But this is the most EXPENSIVE form of patrolling.