July 2008 Patrol -- Working on the Front Lines
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7/23/2008 6:01 PM
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Melanie
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 9
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July 2008 Patrol -- Working on the Front Lines
Do you think Patrol is the backbone of American policing? Do you think patrol officers receive adequate respect and compensation for the jobs they do?
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REPLY 1 - 2 of 2
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7/23/2008 10:09 PM
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#1
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wolfva
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 80
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RE: July 2008 Patrol -- Working on the Front Lines
I would say yes. By patrolling, not only are the officers out and about looking for trouble, they're being seen by the public. I'd even go so far as to say cities should institute more foot patrols so the officers can get to know the people on their beats. Also, that departments should invest in the best possible footwear for beat cops.... When the public sees an officer cruise by in his sealed vehicle then that officer appears seperate from society. Especially when the majority of the time that he gets out is to answer a call. When the officer is walking by and actually interacting with the public in a friendly manner, it humanises the officer. This can lead to an increase in respect.
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7/24/2008 3:21 PM
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#2
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Steve Rothstein
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 250
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RE: July 2008 Patrol -- Working on the Front Lines
Patrol is currently, and always has been, the backbone of policing. It is the most visible part of policing and what people generally think of when they say "police". Patrol response time is one of the more critical measures of the effectiveness of any police department.
Patrol is the group looking for problems AND answering the calls for service. When done correctly, patrol is the largest group trying to prevent crime. My gut feel is that more crimes get solved by patrolman than by detectives too, but it is just a gut feel. Good patrolmen know what is happening in their area and who is doing it.
And I agree with wolfva. Departments need to do more to support patrol. They need to get officers more in touch with their communities. This means they may need to get them out of the cars more, whether on foot or by other means. Bicycles, scooters, horses, and Segways are all viable alternatives to foot patrol that help get the officers out of the car. Most of these will also help get the officer in touch with the community by making him more approachable while still giving him some mobility to cover a larger area than on foot.
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