Aviation patrols have become a valuable law enforcement tool in recent years. These patrols can be
valuable for--
o
Crime prevention.
o
Apprehension of offenders.
o
Traffic control.
o
Patrolling of large, sparsely populated areas.
o
Medical emergencies.
o
Wildlife operations.
o
Search and rescue operations.
f. Patrol Strategy
(1) Patrol systems use both one and two-person patrol vehicles. The dual patrol is traditional.
However, rising crime rates, personnel limitations, and increasing equipment costs have forced
reconsideration of this method.
Local policies and resources will determine the number of personnel assigned to patrol vehicles.
Consideration should be given to the density of crime in specific areas, costs, and skill levels. The
advantages of one-person patrol vehicles are--
o Better use of limited personnel resources.
o Reduced size of patrol areas by using more vehicles. This gives better area coverage
and reduces response times.
o More alert vehicle personnel. They cannot depend on the protection of a partner.
o Ease in spotting and supervising or removing inefficient personnel.
The negative aspects of one-person patrol vehicles are--
o
Maintaining and operating more vehicles will increase cost.
o
Only one police officer would be available for court-martial testimony.
o
The system is dependent upon the ready availability of backup units.
o
The techniques of patrol will change.
When deciding upon one or two-person patrols, you should consider the experience level of your
personnel. It is inadvisable to assign young, inexperienced personnel to one-person patrols. Studies
have shown that one-person patrols make more arrests, have fewer citizen complaints, and had other
safety advantages.
(2) Day versus night patrol strategies. During daylight hours, visibility is a deterrent. Suppose
you were driving down the highway at 80 mph and see an MP. What happens? Your foot automatically
goes to the brake, you start to sweat, and your blood pressure goes up. Just the sight of the MP is a
deterrent. During the day your patrol cars should be visible.
MP2000
1-12
Previous Page
