Foot and Bike Patrols: Positive Effect on BHMA Neighborhoods
March 12, 2015
Chris Franjoine
Accessibility of Foot/Bike Patrols
There are several advantages to placing police officers on foot or bikes, but the most
undeniable advantage is that the practice makes the police force significantly more accessible.
Accessibility is one of the most essential elements necessary for the implementation of
community policing. Community policing requires that there be trust between the police and the
residents. In Buffalo, the police has the lost the trust of the residents in public housing. In order
to regain it, they must become part of the community. Sitting in patrol cars, while useful for
other purposes, will not help to achieve this goal.
“Car patrol eliminated the neighborhood police officer. Police
were pulled off neighborhood beats to fill cars. But motorized
patrol – the cornerstone of urban policing – has no effect on
crime rates, victimization, or public satisfaction. Lawrence
Sherman was an early critic of telephone dispatch and
motorized patrol, noted, ‘The rise of telephone dispatch
transformed both the method and purpose of patrol. Instead of
watching to prevent crime, motorized police patrol became a
process of merely waiting to respond to crime.’ ”
1
A discussion regarding foot and bike patrols naturally finds its main opposition in the
necessity of patrols cars. As far back as 1956, it was well known that “foot patrol is accepted
generally as the most effective type of police patrol.”2 At the same time, it was becoming
obvious that patrols cars would need to be used in some capacity. The patrol car can cover ten
times the space in comparison to an officer on foot patrol. (Id.). This is largely in-line with the
Mosko’s perceived transition. The general public expects that the police will both watch to
prevent crime and respond to it if it happens. Foot patrols have been shown to be excellent at
actually preventing crime. However, even an all-American track-star police officer will find it
difficult to respond to reported gunshots that are five miles away. A compromise has been made.
2
Patrol cars have the capacity to respond to crimes extremely quickly in comparison to foot
patrols. The problem is that prevention takes a hit. Problems can rarely be solved without
compromise. Bike patrols combine the accessibility of foot patrols with at least some of the
speed of patrol cars. Community policing will be more effective with a combination of bike
patrols and patrol cars.
Use of Foot/Bike Patrols in Buffalo
The Buffalo Police Department has been using foot and bike patrols during the summer
months for the past few years. The purpose is to “[provide] a visible presence in commercial
districts, residential neighborhoods and in parks and playgrounds.” Additionally patrol cars must
perform “park and walks” during each shift.3 Despite articles in the Buffalo News, a
representative from the BPD did not believe there was a dedicated bike patrol unit. Regardless,
their certainly is no unit dedicated to bike/foot patrols in the Buffalo housing projects.
One potential problem with using foot and bike patrols in Buffalo is the weather. From
November through March, the average temperature is frequently 40 degrees or colder. Some
police districts have taken the stance that bike and foot patrols should be limited to times of the
year when the temperature is above 40 degrees and below 90. However, as general technology
has improved, so has clothing technology. Buffalo rarely gets too warm for bike and foot patrols.
In Tuscon, Arizona, the police force uses bike patrols year-round even though the temperature
can get as high as 110 degrees. Their website stresses proper hydration and preparation. If
Tuscon, Arizona can deal with temperatures over 100 degrees, Buffalo can surely deal with the
months of July and August when the average temperature is at its highest (high of 80 degrees).4
3
However, especially recently, Buffalo winters have been rather cold. With new clothing that is
designed for weather such as that of a Buffalo winter, it is not out of the question that bike
patrols can be used in the winter. In fact, one Chicago reporter recently followed the Chicago
bike patrol around on an 18 degrees day.
Trust and Incorporation into the Neighborhood
Trust will follow the direct contact brought about by foot and bike patrols.5 Officers
should be walking/biking the same neighborhood for extended period of time. It is only natural
that they will slowly develop relationships with members of the community. Those relationships
will be the first dominoes to fall. As more and more residents learn that the police officers can be
trusted, the culture will change. No longer will residents avoid a corner because there is an
officer of the law standing there. Instead, residents may strike up a conversation or just casually
say hello and walk passed them. Officers on bikes or foot are significantly more approachable.6
This is not meant to sound like a quick solution. It will take time. The level of trust between
residents and police in the Buffalo public housing neighborhoods is completely depleted. If trust
can be thought of as a simple scale, with zero being the amount of trust a person typically has for
a new stranger, it appears that the level of trust enjoyed by residents toward police officers is far
to the negative side.
Experiment in Flint, Michigan
One of the first and most famous experiments done in regard to the effect of foot patrols
was conducted in Flint, Michigan. Up until 1979, the Flint Police Department used only
motorized patrol units. Starting in January, funding was provided to the department to switch to
4
“experimental community-based foot patrols.”7 The initiative sought to address three specific
problems: “the absence of comprehensive neighborhood organizations and services, the lack of
citizen involvement in crime prevention, and the depersonalization of interactions between
officers and residents.” All three of these problems currently plague BHMA neighborhoods.
The Flint experiment should more than prove how effective foot patrols can be in order to
bring about community policing. The officers consistently walked the same neighborhood which
caused them to “develop[] a degree of intimacy with residents which translated into an effective
cooperative relationship.” (Id.). The following table illustrates the findings of the Flint
experiment:
Satisfaction with Foot Patrol
Year
1981
1982
1983
Sample
67 blacks
109 whites
269 blacks
323 whites
155 blacks
213 whites
Yes
53 (79.1%)
90 (82.6%)
178 (66.2%)
216 (66.9%)
122 (76.7%)
163 (76.5%)
No
14 (20.9%)
19 (17.4%)
91 (33.8%)
107 (33.1%)
33 (21.3%)
50 (23.5%)
In comparison, an earlier survey taken at the national level showed that typical overall
satisfaction fell in the 40% range. Additionally, the deviation between whites and AfricanAmericans was 47% (whites) to 24% (African-Americans). Not only did foot patrols increase
overall satisfaction with the police, but also caused the disparity between whites and AfricanAmericans to drop dramatically. The most likely modern-day complaints with police forces are
discrimination and lack of availability. Based upon the Flint study, foot patrols would seem to go
toward alleviating both of these problems.
5
The main problem in BHMA neighborhoods stems from discrimination and lack of
availability. There is rampant distrust between the officers and the residents. Without trust, there
can be little hope of success. Following the Flint experiment, there was definitely more of a
connection between the police officers and the neighborhoods that they walked. For instance:
Citizens who knew their foot patrol officer by name
Over 33%
Citizens who could provide an accurate description of their officer
Over 50%
Operation Impact
In Chicago, the police designed twenty high crime zones to deploy officers on foot as part
of “Operation Impact.” Since the operation was launched, “murders are down almost 50 percent,
shootings are down 43 percent and overall crime is down 26 percent.” (ABC Chicago). Just
recently, 120 officers involved with the “Operation Impact” will transition from foot to bike
patrol. When asked about the pros of being on a bike, Chicago Officer Christopher Miller stated
that, “being mobile has paid off many times – not just in arrests, but also because people who
have a concern or information are more inclined to approach a cop on a bike than in a passing
squad.” (Id.). This effect is exactly what is expected and sought after in the Buffalo public
housing neighborhoods.
6
Newark Foot Patrol Experiment
An experiment conducted in Newark regarding foot patrols had similarly positive results.
The experiment evaluated the effectiveness of foot patrols used in the “Safe and Clean
Neighborhoods Program.” The goal of the program was to stabilize neighborhoods in a multitude
of New Jersey cities, including Newark (the base of the experiment).8 The following are just
some of the results of the study.
Summary of Newark
Experment
Awareness of of
levels of foot patrol
Pereceived decrease
is severity of crimes
Increase in level of
safety
Reduction in the
need for personal
protective measures
Higher level of job
satisfaction for
officers
Broken Windows Policing
One example of the use of foot and bike patrols is in New York City where the approach
has been combined with “Broken Windows Policing.” The Broken Windows theory comes from
an article written by George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson.9 The idea is that a major crimes
stem from uncontested minor crimes. In order to prevent the major crime from occurring, the
police should crack down upon minor crimes. The theory was put into practice in New York City
with tremendous results. Opponents of Broken Window Policing point to possible discrimination
as a result in New York City.10 The author cites several persuasive statistics that paint a poor
image of the NYPD’s usage of the theory, but integrating Broken Window Policing into
Community Policing should alleviate those problems.
7
“Consider a building with a few broken windows. If the
windows are not repaired, the tendency is for vandals to break
a few more windows. Eventually, they may even break into the
building, and if it's unoccupied, perhaps become squatters or
light fires inside.”
Kelling’s follow-up to his initial article included an example of both foot patrols and
Broken Windows Policing in-use.11 Kelling followed an NYPD officer whose “district
commander had just initiated a crackdown on squeegee men in his district.” Kelling and the
officer came across “an African-American man, in his 50s or so, with a squeegee and a bucket of
water.” Instead of arresting the man, the officer warned him about the crackdown and to get off
the streets. The officer and the squeegee man knew each other by name. Based upon the
squeegee man’s reputation as courteous and polite, the officer elected to use his discretion and
save the man from a night in jail. This example perfectly highlights the positive results of an
officer on regular foot patrol. The squeegee man was not the sort of nuisance that the district
commander sought to remove from the streets. An officer unfamiliar with the area would have
arrested him. While New York City’s usage of Broken Window Policing calls for the arrest of
individuals committing petty crimes, the Buffalo housing projects would be better served by an
approach that emphasized the use of discretion. Without foot and bike patrols, the officers will
not have enough background knowledge to be able to effectively use discretion.
Conclusion
Many of the pros and cons of foot/bike patrols are somewhat obvious from the nature of
the job. For instance, police officers on foot and bike patrols have no way to personally stop a
suspect in a vehicle. On the other hand, bike/foot patrols can better traverse a park. It is
8
important to keep in mind that advocating foot and bike patrols is not necessarily done at the
total expense of car patrols. The different types of units are meant to complement each other. If
this practice is put into place in the BHMA neighborhoods, positive results should be expected.
Police officers tend to enjoy the experience of integrating into a neighborhood despite the likely
learning curve-type barrier to entry. Likewise, the residents can expect increased safety, better
availability of officers, and less discrimination.
9
Endnotes
Mosko, Peter. “Cop in the Hood: My Year Policing Baltimore’s Eastern District.” 2009.
Day, Frank. The Issue of One-Man vs. Two-Man Police Patrol Cars.
3
"Mayor Brown Resumes Annual Summer Police Foot And Bicycle Patrols." What To Do When Stopped By The
Police. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
4
"Buffalo Temperatures: Averages by Month." Buffalo NY Average Temperatures by Month. Web. 12 Mar. 2015
5
"Foot Patrols: Crime Analysis and Community Engagement to Further the Commitment to Community
Policing." Community Policing Dispatch. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
6
“Policing on Bicycles and Horses.” Telemasp Bulletin: Texas Law Enforcement Management and Administrative
Statistics Program. Volume 14, No. 6. Nov. 2007.
7
The Impact of Foot Patrol on Black and White Perceptions of Policing (Robert C. Trojanowicz and Dennis W,
Banas, No. 4 in the Community Policing Series, 1983)
8
Kelling, George L. 1981. The Newark Foot Patrol Experiment. Washington, DC: Police Foundation
9
Wilson, James Q; Kelling, George L (Mar 1982), "Broken Windows: The police and neighborhood safety", The
Atlantic
10
Sterbenz, Christina. "The NYPD Is Making A Big Mistake By Resuming Petty Arrests, Law Professor
Warns." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 15 Jan. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
11
Kelling, George L. 1999. “ ‘Broken Windows’ and Police Discretion,” National Institute of Justice
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