POLICE PATROL OPERATIONS with POLICE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

POLICE PATROL OPERATION

FACTORS AFFECTING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF PATROL

FORCES
1. Chronological Distribution – It involves consideration of the nature and causes of crimes. They
should familiarize how crimes are committed, when and who committed them.
 Crime Clock – It signifies what time crime is often or frequently committed.
 Crime Map – Location or place or crime prone areas wherein crime is frequently or often
committed.

2. Geographical Distribution – It involves weighing categories of incidents and accounting the

number of identifiable hazards and street mileage.

3. Walking beats – it involved determining man hours needed to cover the streets and alleys to
inspect the police hazards prevails within the AOR.

4. Motor Patrol Distribution-involves determining the need to shift motor patrol units hour – by –
hour at the area according to where and when crime mostly likely to occur.

B. POST ASSIGNMENT

1. Regular Post- assigning members to its regular or usual post usually based on seniority.

ADVANTAGES OF REGULAR POSTS

 Patrol officer becomes thoroughly familiar with the various post conditions.
 Patrol officer takes more pride and interest in improving the conditions on his post resulting in
better public relations and cooperation from the residents.
 The patrol officer moral is enhanced, since a steady post is an indication of public acceptance
of his work.

DISADVANTAGES OF REGULAR POSTS

 The patrol officer may turn the assignment into a routine detail and may take it too much for
granted.
 Familiarity with the residents may breed contempt or favoritism in the form of gratuities.

2. Shift/Post Rotation – It is the process of assigning members of Patrol force from post to post.

ADVANTAGES OF POST ROTATION

 The patrol officer becomes acquainted with general precint/station problems when shifted from
post to post.
 Such assignments require more observation, alertness and vigilance on the part of the patrol
officer since he is not familiar with the new layout.
 Routine patrol or fixed habits are less likely to be adopted in the new environment which will
result in more rigid enforcement.
 Favoritism will be lessened because of transitory assignments.
 Rotation expands on the officer’s experience thereby enabling him to handle varied
emergencies.

DISADVANTAGES OF POST ROTATION

 It destroys any chance of specialization in the handling of individual post problems.
 It creates a tendency of leaving the unpleasant chores to the next man.
 It makes it difficult to cultivate sources of information as to criminal activities.
 It creates irregular living habits in the officer, to the detriment of his health.
  It can have a bad effect on the family because of the frequently changing of shifts/post.

C. POLICE HAZARD
 Hazard – it refers to any person, place, thing, situation, or condition which, if allowed to exist
may induce an accident or cause the commission of a crime.
 Police hazard - Anything that possesses a high potential for criminal attack that may induce
incidents calling for some kind of police action.

KINDS OF POLICE HAZARDS

 Persons – It includes criminals, alcoholics, prostitutes, Juvenile delinquents, drug peddlers,
addicts, gamblers and insane persons.
 Property – It includes piers, warehouse, unoccupied dwelling, gambling joints, banks,
pawnshops, drug dens, and gambling dens.
 Places – It includes terminals, demonstrations, parks, parades, conventions, political meetings,
lodging houses, schools, and athletic events.

FACTORS THAT CREATE HAZARDS

 Deficient Visibility – resulting from inadequate illumination or obstruction of views.
 Insecurity of premises – created by the absence of suitable locks, bars and gratings.
 Presence of condition of things – poorly designed roadways, defects or obstructions in public
spaces and presence of combustibles.
 Presence of People – crowd offers opportunities for theft, loss of persons or things, fights and
panics.
 Lack of regulation

V. ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING OF THE PATROL FUNCTIONS

A. ORGANIZATION PRINCIPLES
 Span of Control - refers to the number of officers or subordinates that a Superior supervises
without regard to the effectiveness or efficiency of the supervision.
 Unity of Command - refers to placing one and only one superior in command or in control of
every situation and every employee.
 Delegation of Authority - is the assignment of tasks, duties, and responsibilities to
subordinates while at the same time giving them the power or right to control, command, make
decisions, or otherwise act in performing the delegated responsibilities.
 Chain of Command - the arrangement of officers from top to bottom on the basis of rank or
position and authority
 Command Responsibility - dictates that immediate commanders shall be responsible for the
effective supervision and control of their personnel and unit.

B. TERRITORIAL UNITS IN PATROL

 Route - the length of street or streets, designated for patrol purposes also referred to as line
beat.
 Beat - an area designed for patrol purposes, whether foot or motorized.
 Sector - an area containing two or more beats, routes or posts.
 District - a geographical subdivision of a city for patrol purposes, usually with its own station.
 Area - A section or territorial division of a large city.
 Post - A fixed point or location to which an officer is assigned for duty.

C. PREPARATIONS FOR PATROL OPERATIONS

 General Preparation – Attitude is the first and foremost preparation of patrol officer since he
will be dealing with different persons in the society.
 Pre – Patrol Operation – The Patrol officer should be armed with knowledge and equipment.
 Vehicle inspection – Involves inspection of Patrol vehicles to be used before going out of
patrol.
  In – Field Preparation – This is made by having debriefing conference with the officer who is
being relieved and who has just spent the previous tour of duty.
 District Orientation Tour – This involves familiarization of assigned area for patrolling upon
arrival in the field.

VI. VARIOUS METHODS OF POLICE PATROL

A. FOOT PATROL
 Foot patrol is assigned to an area of crowded population such as downtown area, or where there
is heavy traffic congestion and assistance of an officer is needed to help eliminate traffic jam.
 Foot patrol is the most expensive type of patrol in terms of human resources and most
departments had reduced their foot patrols to a minimum because of this.
 It is the common and best known methods of patrol.
TYPES OF FOOT PATROL
 Fixed Foot Patrol – It usually used for traffic, surveillance, parades and special events.
 Moving Foot Patrol – It is used when then there is considerable foot movement such as
business and shopping center, family dwellings and the like.
 Line beat patrol – it is used in securing certain portion of the road.
 Random foot Patrol – It is used in checking residential buildings, business
establishments, dark alley, and parking lots.

ADVANTAGES OF FOOT PATROL

 Patrol officers can enter small alleys and side streets.
 It provides closer observation of persons and things.
 The foot patrolman can provide immediate traffic control when it is needed.
 The officer can actually get to know the physical layout of his beat better.
 It maintains better personal contact with citizens and develops community relations.
 By the use of a two-way radio, the officer can maintain communications with the department
and the mobile unit.
 A foot officer can sneak up on situation, where a patrol car is easily noticed when it
approaches.

Disadvantages of Foot Patrol

 Slow response time
 Low mobility
 Can’t be employed during inclement weather
 It requires huge amount of Personnel

FOOT PATROL PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES

 Walk close to the curb during the day and close to the building at night .
 When patrolling at nighttime always approach each building with caution, always assume the
possibility that a felon maybe lurking inside.
 Don’t establish a set of patterns of patrol.
 When checking doors for forced entry, use flashlight on or around the lock to see if there are
noticeable jimmy marks.
 When an open door is found, NEVER ENTER ALONE.
 At least once a night use the fire escapes to check the roof in the downtown area for possible
‘cut through” burglaries as they are sometimes referred to.
 Be alert for boxes that are being piled up behind building, or ropes that are hanging down the
sides of building, or ladders that might have been used to gain access to a roof.
 At nighttime, the foot patrol officer should occasionally step into alleys or store entrance, and
get out of the light as much as possible.
 Foot patrol must walk his best during all type of weather.
 A foot patrol officer should never smoke while in uniform on the street, nor should chew
gum.
 The foot patrol officer should make a conscious effort to make friends on the beat.
  Use all five senses while walking the beat.
When things are slow, the officer should plan strategies.