ADVINCULA, RICHARD

II-ALPHA
BEAT PATROL

In police terminology, a beat is the territory and time that a police officer patrols. Beat
patrolling is based on traditional policing (late 19th century) and utilises the close relationship
with the community members within the assigned beat to strengthen police effectiveness and
encourage cooperative efforts to make a safer community. Beat police typically patrol on foot or
bicycle which provides more interaction between police and community members.

Before the advent of personal radio communications, beats were organised in towns and
cities to cover specific areas, usually shown on a map in the police station and given some sort of
name or number. Officers reporting on duty would be allocated a beat by their sergeant and
sometimes given a card indicating that the officer should be at a particular point at set times,
usually half an hour, or forty-five minutes apart. The points would usually be telephone kiosks,
police pillars or boxes, or perhaps public houses where it would be possible to phone the officer
should he be needed to respond to an incident. The officer would remain at the point for five
minutes and then patrol the area gradually making his way to the next point.

Beats in town centres would be relatively small areas but in the suburbs much larger. A
shortfall in manpower would mean that one or more beats would be left unpatrolled at the
discretion of the duty sergeant.

Sometime during an officer's shift, he could expect a supervisory officer to meet him at
one of the points. This ensured the beat patrol was being correctly carried out and was an
opportunity to discuss problems. The supervisory officer would sign the officer or constable's
pocket book, ensuring that it was up to date.
ADVINCULA, RICHARD
II-ALPHA
BEAT PATROL OF NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

BEAT PATROL OF CABANATUAN CITY