AJ 53 –
Police Field Operations
Chapter 1 –
Introduction to
Patrol Operations
Patrol Roles and Responsibilities
Roles
 Government agent
 Crime Fighter
 Mediator
 Problem Solver
 Investigator
 Jailer
 Parent
 Social Worker
Responsibilities
 Uniformed Visibility
 Public Accessibility
 Law Enforcement
 Community Policing
 Crime Prevention
 Crime Suppression
 Public Information
 Assist Prosecution
Evolution of Patrol
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Patrol derives from Patrouiller (French)
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“ to tramp around in the mud”
Literally – making regular, repeated circuits
of an area to guard or inspect
Early America
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Night watchmen on “patrol”
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Sometimes volunteers or those being punished
Eventually became paid, professional,
government employees
Professional Era of
Law Enforcement (1940’s & 1950’s)
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Reforms due to earlier days of corruption
Many cops were military veterans
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White male dominance
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Lack of gender/cultural diversity
Efforts to professionalize
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Higher education encouraged
Pre-employment testing
Academy training
“To Protect and Serve”
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Primary goals of Law Enforcement
Reactive
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Traditional mode of responding to calls for
service “after the fact”
Take report, investigate, and arrest
Proactive
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Community Policing, Problem-Solving, etc.
Cooperation + Communication = Trust
Reduce crime & fear of crime
Participative Law Enforcement
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How did people “police” themselves
before the days of modern Law
Enforcement?
How does the local police/sheriff’s
department make sure people feel safe?
Public Safety is the mutual responsibility
of both the Police and the
Community!
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Cooperation and Communication
Crime Prevention
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Why do people commit crime?
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How does Law Enforcement try to prevent
crime from occurring?
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What are some of the barriers to preventing crime
from occurring?
Reduce desire
Increase cost/risk
Rehabilitation
How do you measure success of crimeprevention programs?
Crime Repression
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Repression = reduction or
elimination of opportunity to commit
crime
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Uniformed patrol, security officers
Foot patrols, PR contacts, Field
Interviews
In-store anti-theft devices
Video surveillance
Lighting
Success relies on public’s fear of
being caught and punished
Elements of Identification,
Apprehension, and Prosecution
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Knowledge of criminal law
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Quick response
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Control scene
Initiate investigation
Communication skills
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Penal Code sections
Elements of crimes
Laws of Arrest, Terry, Miranda, etc.
Build trust and cooperation
Interviewing, information gathering
Evidence collection
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Future use in court
Traffic Flow and
Collision Reduction
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Collision-free traffic flow = safety!
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Vehicles and pedestrians
Police identify causes of congestion and
methods to reduce it through…
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Enforcement
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Engineering
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Which violations? Where? When?
Patrol officers provide valuable input
Education
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Citation? Warning? Lecture?
Keeping the Peace
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830.1 PC defines cops as…
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Peace Officers!!!
Majority of patrol time spent on noncriminal activities
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Keeping the Peace
Civil matters
PR contacts
Lost & Found
Community Service
Crisis Planning and
Emergency Preparedness
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Ever alert for any emergency
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Natural disasters
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Major incidents
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Earthquakes, fires, storms, floods, etc.
Airplane/Train crashes, Chemical spills, Riots,
etc.
State and Departmental policy will
assist with proper response
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SEMS, update training
“Routine” Patrol
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What is “Patrol”?
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Moving around within a designated beat/area of
responsibility during a certain timeframe
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Beat Integrity
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Vehicle, foot, bicycle, horse, etc.
Day-shift, Swing-shift, Nights/Graveyards
Accepting accountability for what occurs in your beat
Why should you vary your patrol “routine”?
Advantages of random, proactive patrol?
Public Gatherings
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Parades, Celebrations, Rallies,
Protests…
Why does Law Enforcement provide a
visible, uniformed presence at large
public gatherings?
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Maintain peace and order
Create feeling of safety
Immediate response for law violators
Riot prevention better than control!
Public Servants
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Community Policing Programs
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Business Security
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Fires, downed wires, traffic hazards, etc.
Public Outreach
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Maintain open communication with business
owners in your beat
Hazardous Conditions
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PR contacts, crime-prevention tips, etc.
Neighborhood meetings, school presentations
Tour Guide
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Directions, available services, etc.
Calls For Service
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Many are not crime-related!
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Neighborhood disputes
Landlord-tenant disputes
Repossessions
Child-custody issues
Many result in referrals to other public
agencies
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Small-claims court
Better Business Bureau
Animal Control
Traffic Control and
Enforcement
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What are a patrol officer’s responsibilities for
enforcing traffic laws?
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Public safety
Collision prevention
Generate revenue
How does an officer decide what areas to
focus on during patrol shift?
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Minor violations
Parking
DUI
Specific locations
Developing Positive Contacts
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Good cops build positive relationships with people…
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How?
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Victims, witnesses, suspects, etc.
Benefits may return down the road
Treat everyone with due respect
Cultivating informants
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Motivation?
Integrity?
Honesty?
Reliability?
Preliminary Investigations
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Responsibilities upon arrival at crime scene,
traffic accident, suspicious circumstances, etc.
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Personal safety
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Protection and control of the scene
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Dispatch, other officers, supervisor
Interviews & Note Taking
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Suspects, weapons, evidence
Communication
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Officer, victim, witnesses
First-aid, ambulance, etc.
Victim/witness statements
Report Writing
Evidence
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Evidence is key to successful
prosecution!
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Identifying
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Photographing, Sketching/Drawing
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Before anything moved or disturbed
Collecting
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What is possible evidence?
Proper handling, packaging
Minimize contamination for future testing
Chain-of-Custody must be
maintained!
Arresting Offenders
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Suspects usually gone before you arrive,
but if still present…
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Reasonable Suspicion to Detain?
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Probable Cause to Arrest?
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Pat-down for weapons only (Terry vs. Ohio)
Misdemeanor? Felony? Private-Person’s Arrest?
Miranda?
Booking at County Jail
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Bail?
Release on Own Recognizance (OR)?
Report Writing
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Crucial part of officer’s responsibilities
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Largely overlooked by media
Majority of shift may be spent “writing
paper”
Reports must be…
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Clear, Concise, Thorough!
Factual
Accurate
Objective
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Facts vs. Opinions
Basis for future testimony
Deployment of Personnel
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Department managers (Chief, Sheriff, etc.)
decide how to deploy personnel efficiently
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Refer to factors listed on pages 34-40
Other considerations…
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Rotation of assignments
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Shift work
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Permanent or temporary?
5-8’s, 4-10’s, 3-12’s?
Promotions
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Experience level may diminish
Proactive vs. Reactive Patrol
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Is random patrol effective?
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Why or why not?
What should happen between calls for
service?
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Traditional Policing
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Respond, investigate, arrest, repeat
Community Policing
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Initiate positive contacts, communicate, build trust
and cooperation with community members
Discretionary Decision Making
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Discretion = The ability to exercise
freedom of choice in daily activity and
decisions
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How does this connect to Patrol work?
What factors guide an individual
officer’s discretionary decision making?
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Statutory and Case Laws
Department Policy
Personal Biases and Prejudices
Ethics and Integrity
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Part of Professional Organizations
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Medicine = Hippocratic Oath (400 BC)
ABA = Rules of Professional Conduct
Law Enforcement Code of Ethics
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Adopted in 1956 by IACP
Taken as oath by all Calif. Peace Officers
Useless unless put into practice
Must be genuinely believed in/adhered to
Should be displayed by all within the profession
Civil and Criminal Liability
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Civil Liability = financial responsibility for
damages caused by officer/department
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Common reasons for lawsuits against
individual officers and their departments
 False arrest/imprisonment
 Excessive force
 Violation of constitutional rights
 Racial Profiling
Criminal Liability = criminal charges filed
against officers for illegal conduct
Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights
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Enacted by CA Legislature, 1980
Procedural protections for officers
facing potentially punitive actions
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Reasonable interrogation
Notified of charges
Access to interview tapes
No forced polygraph
Time to respond in writing