Law Enforcement
Uniformed Patrol Concepts and
Tactics
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Traditional Methods
There are three traditional methods of
uniformed patrol:
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Random Routine Patrol
Rapid Response to Citizens’ 911 Calls
Retroactive Investigation of Past Crimes by
Detectives
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Random Patrol

The police officer
drives around a
designated
geographic area.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Rapid Response to Citizens’ 911
calls

The police officer
receives a call from
the police dispatcher,
then responds to the
call.
Photograph provided by Gary Allen, 9-1-1 Dispatch Monthly
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Retroactive Investigation of Past
Crimes by Detectives

If the call involves a crime, the police
officer conducts a preliminary investigation
and often refers the case to a detective
who then conducts a follow up
investigation of the crime
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study
First attempt to
actually test the
effectiveness of
random routine
patrol.
Photograph provided by Woodcrest Vehicles, Riverside, CA
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Random Routine Patrol

Assumptions:
 Creates an
omnipresence
 Deters Crime
 Enables police
officers to catch
criminals in the
act
also known as preventive
patrol, involves a police
officer driving within a
community when they are
not on an assignment from
the radio dispatcher or
supervisor
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study
During 1972-73, Kansas City Department
conducted an experiment to test the effects of
routine preventive control. This year long
experiment has been both influential and
controversial.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study
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Fifteen patrol beats in Kansas City’s South
Patrol were used.
Five of those beats were assigned to a control
group with no changes in normal patrol staffing
or tactics.
Five other beats were chose as reactive beats,
and all preventive patrolling was eliminated.
The reactive beats and the proactive beats were all
experimental groups.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study
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Outside patrol units handled calls in the reactive beats,
and units left the beats once they had handled the calls.
During the experiment all activities during the 15 beats
was monitored.
Prior to the outset of the experiments researchers
collected data on reported crime, arrests, traffic
accidents, response times citizen. Attitudes, citizen and
business victimization for each of the 15 beats.
No one in the community was advised during the entire
year of the experiment
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study

Conclusions:
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adding or subtracting police patrols from an area
made NO difference in the community.
No change in crime.
No change in citizen fear of crime.
No change in community attitude toward police.
No change in police response time.
No change in traffic accidents.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study

It had been commonly believed that putting
more officers on patrol would cause a decrease
in crime, and taking away police would cause an
increase in crime. The Kansas City Study
demonstrated this was wrong.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Kansas City Study


James Q. Wilson: “…All it shows is that changes
in the amount of random preventive patrol in
marked cars does not, by itself, seem to
affect…how much crime occurs or how safe
people feel.”
Joseph D. McNamara: “…the experiment
seemed to show that police officers
uncommitted time-(responding to calls or selfinitiated police time) which is approximately
50%, could be used more effectively.”
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
O.W. Wilson, “…Despite the conclusions
of researchers, the valuable police patrol
cannot be measured by a statistical study
like the Kansas City one and must be based
on historical experience.”
 To date, only one other attempt has be
made to replicate the Kansas City Study, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico- which yielded
similar results.

Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Alternative Patrol Strategies
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Directed Patrol
Split Force
High intensity patrol
Differential Response to Calls for Service
Uniformed tactical operations
Decoy operations
Stake out and sting operations
Code enforcement teams
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Directed Patrol
involves officers
receiving specific
instructions on what
duties to perform
while not responding
to calls.
Based on:
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crime analysis
specific problems
complaints received
from the community
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Split Force

One portion of the
patrol force handling all
calls dispatched to
patrol units, while the
other only performs
directed patrol
assignments.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
High intensity patrol
A form of split force used by the Houston
Police Department, placed more officers
in different parts of the city during peak
crime hours.
Problems HIP- directed not to answer 911 calls and stay in
designated areas, not enough regular patrol officers, therefore 911
calls would pile up.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Differential Response to Calls for
Service

An alternative to rapid
response to calls for
service which
matches the response
to calls to 911 to the
severity of the
request.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Uniformed tactical operations
Aggressive Patrol Tactics Involves stopping
numerous people and vehicles in an
attempt to find evidence that they may
have committed a crime or may be
committing a crime.
Studies have indicated that
aggressive patrol tactics such as in
the field of interrogations could
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Reduce the crime rates
Increase arrests rates
Create problems with the community
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Decoy operations
An officer by
dressing and playing
The role of a
potential crime victim
goes unnoticed by
criminals.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Sting operations

Involve using various undercover
methods to apprehend thieves and
recover stolen property.

Sting operations can account for a large
number or arrests and the recovery of a
significant amount of stolen property.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Stake Outs

A stakeout consists
of a group of heavily
armed officers who
conceal themselves
in a or about a
location waiting for a
crime to occur or a
suspect to arrive
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Code enforcement teams

Many cities use civil, as well as
criminal, laws to force landlords and
others in control of premises to correct
illegal conditions.
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Uniformed Patrol Concepts
and Tactics
Find more about police tactics
at
www.police-writers.com
Copyright 2005-2009:Hi Tech Criminal
Justice, Raymond E. Foster