f. The amount of crime occurring is not evenly distributed. That is, if 100 offenses were
reported during a 7-day period, more crimes are reported on certain days of the week, at certain times of
the day, and in certain places. It is, therefore, mandatory that an analysis be made of the need for police
service and the need matched to the number of MPs available and the areas in which they are most
needed.
g. To determine the daily required personnel, the operations officer uses the selective
enforcement principles. There are several advantages to using this data to plan patrol requirements.
There is no guesswork involved. Another advantage is that past events reveal trends and patterns in
crime. This means an accurate projection of future activity can be developed. Most importantly, using
this principle to plan patrol distribution allows efficient use of personnel and equipment.
h. Develop a patrol distribution plan.
(1) The first step in developing a patrol distribution plan is to identify your goals. What do
you want the plan to accomplish? Do you want less burglary? Do you want more community
involvement? Do you want a higher criminal apprehension rate?
(a) Use historical data from recent crime and traffic studies and files. Analyze the
information. Identify facts and figures that reflect incident rates. Identifying qualifying factors such as
time, days of the week, and locations. One good source for such data is the monthly law Enforcement
Report (DA Form 2819). The resulting data is analyzed weighing several factors. How severe is the
crime? What is the impact on the community? How much is crime costing the community? The result is
the identification of incidents, areas, and times when crime has the greatest impact on the community.
(b) Policies to handle common problems should be set before you plan patrol areas and
routes. There are considerations in getting policies. What can be handled by phone? To what extent do
patrols handle crime investigation? What are the reporting responsibilities of the patrols?
(c) Plan patrol areas and routes for the most efficient and effective MP coverage. Work
to achieve the goals defined by your analysis. Patrols should be able to cover assigned areas in one
larger area. If you have areas that require more time, you may need to add personnel or limit the
area/route size. As you plan patrol areas and routes, consider the specific missions and orders from
higher authorities. Population variables affect patrol planning. Locate places where people gather such
as billets, theaters, clubs. Consider operation hours of facilities. Also determine resident and transient
populations.
(d) You should also consider locations, amounts, and frequency of crimes. This would
include installation size and population locations. Potential sites for crimes are clubs and warehouses.
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