Criminal Justice Random Prevention Patrol Term Paper

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In addition, they could be effective in super high-crime hot spots, such as the bar the authors describe in Minneapolis, which recorded an astounding number of assaults throughout the year; roughly 1 in 4 patrons would suffer an assault during the study (Sherman et al. 44). Thus, random patrols in a hot-spot area like this could help deter crime and apprehend offenders. However, chances are that the very nature of the random patrol would be so random that it would not encounter criminal activity, and so, it would be less effective than other forms of patrol.

Interestingly, most patrol officers disagree with the findings of these studies. Author Kelling and his colleagues write, "Three-fourths of those surveyed in the South Patrol Division [in Kansas City] more than moderately agreed that routine patrol was the most important function of the department" (Kelling, et al. 38). This is not only because they see their job function as vital to the department, but also because in their experience, they give the public a greater feeling of security, which is another primary aspect of their police work. However, the study showed this was actually not the case, despites the officers' beliefs, and that police forces need to take a new, fresh look at their patrolling options to develop new techniques for managing crime and apprehending offenders.

This also brings up the question of the number of officers in patrol cars, and what is the most effective number of officers. Most of the public (and police officers, as well), would think two-officer cars were the most effective in responding to crime and criminal activities, but a 1977 study in San Diego debunked that thought as well. Author David Kessler writes, "Among the more salient of these experimental findings were that one-officer cars were safer, had fewer citizen complaints, and were more efficient than two-officer cars" (Kessler 49). In addition, the study discovered that two one-officer police cars had faster response times to a crime scene than one, two-officer car had. The study concluded this was true because of the inordinate nature of competition that exists between the officers, thereby creating a sense of urgency to be the first officer on the scene (Kessler 61).

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This also seems contradictory to public and officer perceptions, but the studies were highly professional and geared to long-term, statistical results, and these results do not lie. Random patrols and two-officer cars do not make sense in modern policing, preventative patrols with one-officer cars are the best way to help deter crime and still give a sense of security to a community's citizens.

In conclusion, these studies indicate that random and routine police patrols are not effective in continually managing crime. The Kansas City study indicates that routine preventative patrols are not effective, but that targeted preventative patrols are much more effective in certain areas of crime. Studies also indicate that a one-person car is more effective at responding to crime. These studies, and many others, indicate that the traditional roles of the police officer are changing, and will continue to change. Will police patrols disappear in the future? Probably not. Even random patrols can prove effective in some situations, and targeted patrols have proven to be quite effective. The scope of police work is ever changing, and departments must be open to change and new ideas. Perhaps that is the real method for police management and control. Rather than relying on tried and true techniques, the most successful departments will hold themselves up as models of change, modernity, and openness to new, forward thinking policing methods......

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"Criminal Justice Random Prevention Patrol" (2007, September 27) Retrieved May 21, 2025, from
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