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PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM


THE IMPORTANCE AND OBJECTIVES OF POLICE PATROL

PATROL is derived from the French word PATROUILLER which means to


tramp  about through the mud of a military camp or roughly to travel on foot. 
Patrol is the backbone of the Police department because of the following 
reasons: 
1. First of all, it is the only division that cannot be eliminated. All other divisions of
the police department may, if necessary, be eliminated. Patrol officers  can, and
have, assumed the duties of other police elements in times of  financial crises
requiring agency cutbacks. 
2. Patrol officer is the primary agency representative. The majority of contacts 
between the public and police occur between citizen and patrol. The first and
foremost police element is patrol; all other units exist to augment and  support
this function. This is the only police element to be distributed in a  geographic
manner calculated to provide rapid service anywhere in the  jurisdiction. 
3. Patrol provides the initial response every event requiring police presence; 
whether this is a major crime, serious injury, or a cat up a telephone pole.  The
patrol officer is the only member of the law enforcement agency to be  involved
in practically every incident calling for police action. 
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: 
Primary goals and objectives 
The primary goals and objectives of police patrol are; maintaining order and 
protecting life and property. These are among the most basic roles of government, 
and government hires the police to perform these activities.  
Secondary goals and objectives: 
1. Preventing crimes – the police attempt to prevent crime by trying to  create a
sense of omnipresence through routine patrol; responding to calls by citizens with
problems that may cause crime; and establishing and  participating in police-
citizens partnerships designed to prevent crime. 
2. Arresting and prosecuting offenders – arresting offenders and assisting 
prosecutors in bringing charges against defendants is one of the primary 
methods used by the police to maintain order and protect life and property. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

3. Recovering stolen and missing property – when people find property on  the
street, they generally bring it to a police officer or to a police station. 
When people lose property, they generally go to the police station in the 
hopes that someone has turned it in. Besides all of their other duties then, 
the police serve as society’s foremost lost and found department. 
4. Assisting the sick and injured – because they are available seven days a  week
and 24 hours a day and because they are highly mobile, the police  generally are
the closest government agency to any problem. 
5. Enforcing non-criminal regulations – when government offices close, the  police
become roving representative of the government who assist people  with problems
no one else is available to handle. When lights go off in an  apartment building,
the water main breaks, people call the police. 
6. Delivering services not available elsewhere in the community – the  police
respond and take whatever actions they can to ameliorate problems  and deal
with emergencies. They direct traffic, evacuate residents, and  decide whom to
call for assistance. 
Because of the diverse activities performed by the police specifically the 
patrol officers in their daily contact with the public, their responsibilities  are
categorized into two, namely: 
a. Law Enforcement – this embraces crime prevention and crime control role, 
including the customary police functions. 
b. Order Maintenance – peace keeping on community service role or social 
services. 
UNIT II. FACTORS AFFECTING PATROL OPERATIONS 
A. Factors affecting police performance  
1. External factors 
a. trust and confidence of the people 
b. participation of the public in patrol activities 
c. support of the barangay officials 
2. Internal factors 
a. higher pay 
b. endorsement by higher authorities 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

B. Factors influencing decision making at an operational level -  Operational


level decision makers’ judgments are governed by the same  kinds of influences
that affect decisions of higher level administrators. But, 
because officers operate within a much smaller political sphere, they find  their
relationships with the more limited community potentially more intense. The
reciprocal impact of both officer and community becomes clearer. It is  easier
to “bargain” within these more intimate relationships. 
1. Community input – if citizens do not report crimes to the police or summon  on
officer when service is needed, police will intervene only in those  situations that
they personally observe. Witnesses and victims who do not  cooperate with the
police limit police discretion. 
A common reason why citizen do not report auto accidents or burglaries to 
the police is that their insurance might be cancelled or their rate increased if the 
report is made. Conversely, they might report if they believe such report is  necessary
in order for them to collect the insurance. The relationship between the  victim and
offender and the attitude of the citizen toward police also have a great  influence on
the willingness of the citizen to report. In a sense, the community  members express
their expectations to police in their interactions with them….The  clearer the
statement, the better police can structure their discretion to meet the  community’s
need.  
2. Situational factors – several studies have found specific situational factors  to be
influential in discretionary decision making. Major factors include the  attitude
and appearance of the offender, political factors such as community  attitudes,
pressures, and biases. 
Another important factor is, whether the situation is on view ( one that the 
officer has been and in which he or she intervene without invitation) or , is one to 
which the officer was summoned by citizens. 
3. Environmental factors 
a. personal values 
b. pressure of police supervisors and peers 
c. personal perception of what alternatives to assess are available  
An officer who grew up in a conservative environment may find decision  making in a
liberal environment uncomfortable. Routinely, the officers will be  required to “assess”
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

cultural and social engineer at the moment, in his discussion of police use of deadly
force, points to an apparent correlation between attitudes of  violence in a community
and use of deadly force. Where high rates of police  violence existed, he found high
rates of citizen against police violence also. 
4. Educational and experiential factors – college-educated police recruits  were
slightly more likely to choose alternative to arrest. Their findings 
suggest that education does have some effect upon discretionary decision 
making. ( Carter, Sapp and Stephens 1989) 
The Police Exercise of Discretion  
Discretion is the wise use of one’s judgment, personal experience and  common
sense to decide a particular situation. The police are decision makers, and most of the
decisions they make involves discretion. Discretion is part and parcel of the police
role. 
The policeman on the beat, or in the patrol car, makes more decisions and 
exercise broader discretion affecting the daily life of people every day, and to a  greater
extent in many respects than a judge who will ordinarily exercise in a week.  No law
book, no lawyer, no judge can readily tell how the police officer on the beat  exercise
his discretion perfectly in everyone of the thousands of hour to hour work  of a police
officer. 
The police are trained to be self-reliant and make decisions. Most of the 
decisions they make involve discretion. The police exercise discretion whenever  they
must use their own judgment and personal experience in deciding when to act  when
confronted with specific situations. 
Should there be full enforcement of the law by the police or can selective 
enforcement be restored to as a result of discretion. The fact of the matter is that 
the police do not enforce all laws all the time against all law violators. 
Several factors can be attributed for the lack of full, strict, or total law 
enforcement such as:  
• Broadness and inflexibility of the criminal statutes 
• Ambiguity and vagueness of the law 
• Over criminalization of the criminal law, or too many laws 
• The need to individualize the law in action (selective enforcement)
Main Problems arising from uncontrolled discretion are: 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• it lacks uniformity for implementation 


• it may be discriminatory 
• it fosters police corruption in victimless crimes 
• it converts the law into a personal instrument of social control through the so  called
“sidewalk justice” 
OCCUPATION HAZARDS 
A career in law enforcement can be exciting, challenging, and rewarding for 
people who are oriented and committed to public service. Yet it can be devastating  for
those who are not prepared for its rigors. Thousands of dedicated, well-meaning
people who thought that police work was the career for which they were destined 
have discovered that the mental, physical, social, or economic costs of continuing 
such career were too high. Many others have perished within the field but at 
considerable expense on their part and that of others. 
Law enforcement is a hazardous craft that requires strong, caring individuals 
who can deal consistent with stressful situations. Overtime, the impact of the 
dangers and stressors inherent in policing affect individual police officers differently.
Some, perhaps most, go through their entire careers without suffering personally in 
any unusual or specific way. For other potential appears to take a special toll on 
their lives. The sense of community isolations, the potential dangers, and the  unique
life style all seem to work together to affect adversely certain officer’s  physical,
mental, and social well-being. 
A. Physical Hazards 
1. Violence – danger is an inherent part of police work, and this danger is 
reinforced by the element of authority. Police are required to enforce laws,  laws
that are many times either more conservative or more liberal than the  area or
person against whom it is being enforced. Police officers are always  interacting
with people in moments of crisis. Thus, more often than not, the  police are
perceived more as adversaries than as friends. 
The threat of death and injury due to violence as well as the physiological 
impact of possibly having to cause death or injury to others is a fact with which law 
enforcement officers must content. The keys to coping with these hazards are 
personnel selection and training. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

2. Accidents - law enforcement officers have about an equal potential to lose  their
lives due to accidents as due to homicide. Automobile accidents,  motorcycle
accidents, aircraft crashes, being struck by vehicles, accidental  shootings, falls,
and drowning, tend to be the most common causes for  accidental deaths among
officers. 
3. Contagious disease – during the later half of the twentieth century, police  officers
hand relatively little to fear from contagious diseases. Some of the  most common
communicative diseases, such as gonorrhea, herpes, and  syphilis, would
hopefully not be contracted while on duty. Outbreaks of such  old horrors of
earlier times as diphtheria, polio, tetanus, small pox and  whooping cough were
being controlled through vaccinations. 
B. Psychological Hazards 
Historically, many people believed that policing attracted persons with a 
propensity toward authoritarianism and cynicism – those with a specific police 
personality. A research suggests that there is no specific personality: rather, that  the
socialization process in becoming a police officer creates a working personality  that
the police officer uses in the performance of the job. 
The working personality and the accompanying sense of isolation are the 
result of conditions inherent in the practice of police work. Another aspect of the 
police personality is the concept of cynicism. This is the belief that all people are 
motivated by selfishness and evil. Unfortunately, after years of seeing humanity as  its
worst, many police officers subscribe to it.  
Cynicism become “an emotional plank deeply entrenched in the ethos of the
police world, and it serves equally well for attack or defense. For many reasons, 
police are particularly vulnerable to cynicism.  
1. Emotional Distress. Due to the hazards that are inherent in the law 
enforcement, all officers will, on occasion, experience emotional distress. 
Although other occupation may be far more dangerous, the constant 
exposure to stressful stimuli makes policing one of the most difficult 
occupations.  
The threat of violent death and injury, the constant exposure to human 
tragedies, the responsibility for others, the feelings of alienation and helplessness, 
the demands of shifts work, the limited career opportunities, and the lack of input in
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

administrative decision making, all combine to create stress for even the most  stable
well-adjusted persons. It is of vital importance that law enforcement  administrators
and employees realize the source and consequences of stress before officers can learn
to cope with the stress that is inherent in policing, they must be  taught to overcome
“John Wayne Mentality”, which means the police refuse  to acknowledge any
weakness. Once officers have learned to acknowledge the  existence of stress, they
can be taught how to identify and neutralize those  stressors with which they as
individuals must content. 
2. Mental Illness. If the distress is not dealt with appropriately, it may  escalate into
behavior that, threaten the welfare of the officer and/others.  The individual officer
may suffer from relatively mild emotional disturbances,  which require only
counseling and reassurance, or she/he may be plagued by  severe mental
disorders that are career or even life threatening in nature. 
Law enforcement agencies must not only have assistance programs designed to
help officers contend with emotional distress but must also develop strategies to  aid
those for whom problems become too severe for continued police service. 
Medical pensions, extended health coverage, and family support services are only 
fair for those who have paid too high a price for their police careers. 
3. Suicide. Being a police officer also increases one’s risk of falling victim to 
suicide. Preliminary suicides appear to identify higher levels of suicides  among
police officers than among other professionals or occupations. 
Given the general nature of police work, many officers who feel suicidal are 
either afraid or have no one to turn to in discussing their feelings. This leads to an 
even greater sense of isolation, with many believing that suicide is the only way  out. 
4. Substance abuse. Psychological dependency. Police administrators  frequently
report that alcohol is a severe problem with officers and often  report the
existence of alcohol-related problems. The use and abuse of  alcohol among
police officers is apparently one way of coping with the  problems inherent in
the job. 
Although alcohol is the “drug of choice” among police officers, caffeine and 
nicotine are also extremely popular. It is not unusual for officers to drink several 
cups of coffee, glasses of tea, or soft drinks during their workday. Similarly, many 
officers use tobacco products while on duty. In addition to being chemically 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

addictive, these drugs are also psychologically addictive, in that they often develop  as
means of killing time during periods of tedium. 
C. Physiological hazards  
1. Substance abuse: Chemical dependency. The impact of drugs and  alcohol is
even more devastating physically than psychologically. All too  frequently, casual
use of such substances leads to chemical dependency.  Social users of tobacco,
alcohol, or narcotics now find themselves in constant  need of that particular drug
in order to “get by.” This addiction results not  only in social difficulties but can
become life threatening. 
2. Physical health. In addition to substance abuse, a number of other physical
hazards exist for police officers. Stress, poor nutrition, and lack of exercise  also
contribute to poor physical health. 
Terry 1981 has documented numerous physiological effects of police stress.  Some of
these problems include headache, indigestion, ulcer, lower back pain, and  high
blood pressure. In addition, Norveil, Belles, and Hughes (1988) have found  that
police officers have higher risk of mortality associated with cancer, diabetes, 
and heart disease than the non police. It is evident that, strong relationship exists 
between job-related stress and physical illness.  
D. Social hazards  
1. Isolation from the public. One of the difficult aspects of policing is the  sense of
isolation from the community. Perhaps this is endemic to law  enforcement given
the nature of the job. In addition to enforcing unpopular  or at the very least
nonconsensual laws, police are required to be suspicious.  Required to ask
questions, to demand answers, “to proceed forcefully against all appearance of
transgression…..to penetrate the appearance of  innocence…..to discover
craftiness… “ 
2. Isolation from the family. All too often, policing becomes a disruptive  influence
for the family. The potential for danger, the authoritarian nature of  the job, the
round-the-clock shifts and constantly changing shifts, and  accommodations that
must be made in family life all work together to  increase tension in the law
enforcement family. As a result, many believe  that marital problems are endemic
to law enforcement. 
E. Economic hazards  
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

1. Salary limitations. If one’s goal is to accumulate great wealth, he/she  should not
become a law enforcement officer. Despite their education,  training, and
professionalism, unless they rise to top administrative positions, become corrupt,
or win the lottery, they will experience a lower-middle-class  existence. 
2. Career limitations. Everyone cannot become the chief of police in a large 
metropolitan agency. Nor will all those who wish to become supervisor do so.
Whether one’s career is successful depends on how one defines success.  Many
officers who have spent their entire careers as patrol officers in small or midsized
law enforcement agencies are rightfully proud of their  accomplishments.
Similarly, there are many frustrated persons (at all ranks  and level of policing)
who feel that they never received a fair chance.  
3. Liability issues. Failure to act in a manner that is felt to be consistent with 
proper law enforcement procedures could result in a minor reprimand. More 
serious violations could result in more severe disciplinary actions, such as 
suspensions, compulsory transfer, demotions, or even terminations.  Violations
that are felt to have infringed on the legal rights of others could  result in costly
civil litigation at the state levels. Violations thought to  constitute criminal actions
could result in arrest, conviction, and  imprisonment. 
Whether officers are convicted or subsequently acquitted of all charges, the 
economic impact of legal costs and career damages can be devastating to both the 
officers and their families 
PATROL ACTIVITIES 
1. Patrol and Observation – constant and alert patrolling with a keen sense of
observation on person and things is a gauge of an efficient patrol officer.  Because
only people commit crime and they invariably do so with the  medium of things,
the beat or the mobile patrol crew must focus their  attention on these two factors
that if left unobserved and unattended, will  constitute hazards. Conceptually, a
hazard is any person, things, situation or  condition that, if allowed to exist may
induce an accident or cause the  commission of crime.  
2. Called for services – the patrol officer, whether on foot or in a radio  equipped car,
respond to every conceivable call from the public. This is  because the police have
always been expected to know how to deal with  every problem, although most of
them are totally unrelated to actual policing  functions. Due to diverse range of
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

interpersonal problem the patrol office  must mediate in his daily contact with the
public, it is important that he must  be provided with a background knowledge
and understanding of both normal  and deviant behavior which he will encounter
in the community. 
3. Inspectional services – are effectively performed by foot patrol officers in  uniform.
As they go about their routine tasks of walking their assigned beats  they pay
particular attentions to person and things. Particularly at night,  when assigned in
business, financial and commercial districts, they inspect  and check doors and
display windows of establishments. In residential areas, particularly where
apartment-type of buildings abound, inspectional service  of the police is
necessary. 
4. Control of public gatherings – considering the present thinking among the
different groups of demonstrators, notwithstanding acts as malicious mischief and
vandalism, aggravated by labor strikes and tantamount to anarchy, the  police
have their hands in these crowd control situations. In the forefront for  this police
activity is the patrol force whose manpower is drawn from the  different police
stations. Depending upon the scene of happening, the size of the gathering, and
the gravity of the situation, each police station is held  responsible to maintain
peace and order in its jurisdiction. However, if the  assembly is big and unruly,
and in the estimate of the situation violence may  erupt, the station commander
can seek the assistance of the specialized  strike force to quell and disperse the
crowd.  
Crowd psychology is a factor in crime prevention. Demonstrations, in any 
form, whether involving the academe, labor, or subversion, in order to initially be 
successful must attract attention. The demonstrator first concern is to arouse the 
curiosity of the people in their show and eventually win their sympathy to their 
cause. 
5. Responding to emergencies – constant availability to public calls gives the patrol
force a unique reputation for efficiency. The fact remains that, in many cases, the
patrol office is the single police entity with trained and  experienced personnel on
duty where human emergencies and domestic  crisis arise. The fact is, the public
is immediately attended to in time  of their need under every conceivable
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

kind of situation. This is the  yardstick that measures the patrol force
efficiency. 
6. Attending to complaints – the uniformed patrol officer on the beat must  be,
looked upon by the community as their friend and protector. This is the  image
he must constantly strive to maintain. In so doing, he will always be  confronted
with situational problems, most of which are not criminal in  nature. Still, patrol
officers must make every effort to settle the problem  amicably because most of
these cases are potentially a stimulus to criminal  acts. However, he must be
cautious to explain to the parties involved the  limits of his authority because
most often the ground for action is civil in  nature 
7. Conduct initial investigation – how reliable a patrol officer records the  events of
a crime to which he responds will have a definite impact on the  case outcome
when detectives takes over to pursue the case. Actual cases  have demonstrated
the important contributions made by patrol officers  during the investigative
process. Records have shown that, notwithstanding  the efforts of detective
specialists, it is often the information developed by  the patrol officer during his
initial investigation of the crime that determines  whether a case will eventually be
solved. The information supplied by the  victim and/or the witness to the
responding patrol officer can be an important factor fort he solution of the crime.
Based on contemporary procedures of  many police departments, most often the
patrol officer, being the first to  arrive at the scene in required to stand-by to
protect the crime scene until  the arrival of investigators or until the investigators
are through in their crime scene investigation. Different police departments have
different operating  procedures in crime investigation. Patrol officer is limited to
conduct  only initial investigation at the scene. The objective is for the
patrol officer to concentrate in his preventive task. 
8. Preservation of crime scene – since crime scenes are classified into  indoor,
outdoor and vehicle, the first concern of the patrol officer is to  estimate the
situation. If it is an outdoor scene, he must approximate the  area to be covered
by the investigation; if it is indoor, he must prevent the  entry and exit of people;
if it is a vehicle, to protect it from being moved or 
tampered. Generally, the success of most criminal investigation begins at 
the crime scene. The patrol officer should be cognizant of this. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

9. Criminal apprehension – despite the utmost efforts by the patrol force in  its
crime prevention strategies, crime occur. Consequently, it becomes a  police
responsibility to apprehend the criminal. Hence, patrol commanders  must be
aware that this responsibility is their main concern, must program  their
manpower development in such a manner that constant availability of  patrol
officers to public calls is always assured; that members of the patrol  force,
whether on foot patrol beats or in mobile patrol sectors, can readily  apply the
element of surprise in the apprehension of the criminal. 
10.Writing of reports – report writing is the last of the ten basic functions and 
activities a patrol officer has to perform. To many law enforcement officers, 
whether performing patrol work or investigation functions, report writing is a 
dilemma. When they enter police service they have only the vision of activity and
excitement-pursuing criminals and solving crimes.  
They do not realize that amount of paper work involved; that for every police 
action there must be a report-writing reaction. In a police organization, reports are 
the source of planning, for policy formulation, for decision making and for operation.
Since the patrol officer, by nature of his work, is primarily the constant man of the 
department with the community, his observation of persons, things, and happenings
must be properly documented by means of carefully prepared report.  
ORGANIZATION AND STAFFING OF THE PATROL FUNCTIONS
CONCEPT OF ORGANIZATION 
Basically, organization consists of arranging personnel, and functions in a  systematic
manner designed to accommodate stated goals and objectives in the  most efficient
manner possible. A poorly organized police department cannot  function effectively
even with the best management. Similarly, an organized police  agency will not
operate with maximum efficiency if it is not well managed. 
The act of organizing is indispensable to proper management, and without  some
form or organizational structure, most police operations could not be carried  out. If
the organization is poor and if the organizational concepts are poorly  understood or
applied, the efficiency of the department will severely affected. 
ORGANIZING FOR PATROL 
The organization and operation of the patrol force is said to be a semblance  of
the pattern of organization of a police department because patrol is the police.  Due
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

to the nature of work they perform, they adhere very closely to rigid chain of 
command, specific assignment of duties and responsibilities, and functional job 
description that distinguishes between line and staff authority.
The objectives of the patrol are the same as those of a police organization. 
The uniformed patrol officer represents all the powers and responsibilities of the 
police. In a very real sense, the uniformed patrol force is the police while the 
specialized branches represent in depth applications of responsibilities and 
techniques that the patrol officer initiates. In fact, the beat officer, in August 
Vollmer’s opinion, should be a virtual organic unit. 
The operational heart of a police organization is the patrol force to which 
other departmental divisions relate in a supportive capacity. The patrol force 
incorporates all objectives inherent in the police organization. 
Since the problem of crime is the concern of government and crime 
prevention is the basic responsibility of the police, enforcement of laws through 
effective patrol work is its motivating ingredient to achieve peace and order. 
Undeniably, the programs of the community are inseparably linked with peace and 
order. Without peace, without order, society is doomed politically, socially, 
economically, and culturally. 
A police department is organized first and foremost for crime prevention. In a
newly created community a prime concern of local government officials and citizens is
peace and order. Hence, priority is the establishment of a police department 
entrusted with the basic responsibility of crime prevention. They are aware of the 
police role of safeguard the community’s progress and stability. Operationally, this 
task is the sole responsibility of the patrol force of any police organization. 
The prevention of crime is a fundamental role of the patrol force. The 
preventive role of the individual patrol officer on his beat is a basic element of 
modern police service. The mere presence of a properly organized and efficiently 
operating patrol force is conceded to be one of the greatest crime determine thus  far
developed by organized society. 
DETERMINATION OF PATROL FORCE 
REQUIREMENTS: 
PATROL FORCE SIZE. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Given the fact that personnel resources are limited in every police agency… 
no police administrator ever has as many officers as might be desired---what 
proportion of the force should be assigned to patrol. 
First, there is no magic number, and no role of thumb that can provide 
guidance. In small agencies, it is common for 80 to 90 percent of the force to be 
devoted to patrol. In very large agencies, the proportion might be 50 percent or 
less.
The single most important factor is the number and nature of the services 
that the patrol officers are expected to provide. If patrol officers are required to  make
complete investigations of every criminal incident reported or discovered on  their
beats, plus respond to all non-criminal crises, plus devote a considerable  amount of
time to preventive patrolling, plus handle a variety of nonproductive  tasks, then
certainly a large number of patrol officers will be needed. 
Geographical and population factors also influence the need for patrol  officers.
If population density is relatively high, a single officer may be kept busy  responding
to calls for service within a small geographical area. If population  density is low, one
officer may be enough to handle all calls that arise in a very  large area. However,
response time may be unacceptably large because of the long distances that an officer
must travel to respond to a call. 
These are not the only factors that affect the size of the patrol force. The  basic
efficiency of the agency and the productivity of the patrol officers themselves  have an
importance influence. If administrative and operational procedures are  designed to
assist officers in carrying out their tasks quickly and effectively, and if  the officers are
competent, well trained, and highly motivated, fewer officers will be  needed to handle
a given quantity of work. 
But the ruling factor, in practical terms, usually is the size of the agency’s 
budget. Few police administrators are given a budget large enough to hire all the 
officers they would like to have. Consequently, the usual procedure is to tract the 
personnel who must be assigned to non-patrol duties. Whatever is left determines 
the number of patrol officers available. This base number may be decreased by, 
shifting non-patrol officers to patrol-or by persuading the parent government to 
increase the agency’s budget. 
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Decreasing the size of the patrol force is not always a bad idea. For example, in
a small department it may be the standard practice for patrol officers to perform  all of
the tasks involved in booking their prisoners including fingerprinting,  photographing,
assigning a jail cell and so on. This may be a time-consuming  procedure. At some
point, it is likely to be preferable to assign one officer as the  full-time booking officer,
thereby reducing the amount of time that the patrol  officers must spend off the street.
Even if this means there will be less patrol officer on duty, the increased efficiency of
the entire force may out weigh the loss.  However, if the agency has a booking officer
whose duties are not sufficient to keep  officer occupied full time, it might be
preferable to shift the booking officer to patrol  and require the patrol officers to do
their own booking of prisoners, or to assign  other duties to the booking officer. 
PATROL FORCE STAFFING
It is not possible, of course, to retain all competent patrol officers within the 
patrol division. Even though the administrator must make conscientious efforts to 
avoid draining the patrol force to supply manpower for specialized units, the fact 
remains that the patrol division must usually accommodate most of the new officers
who join the department. The patrol division is also the largest division, and thus 
there are far more basic police-officer positions within the patrol force than in any 
other division. Since it is therefore inevitable that good patrol officers will gravitate 
away from patrol, even in the best of systems, the department should compensate  for
their loss by staffing middle-level and command-level positions in patrol with the very
best talent available in the department. 
SCHEDULING 
The police administrator and middle-management supervisors must make 
decisions about the assignment of shift hours, rotation of beat assignments, and 
rotation of shifts. Once the policy is established, there not be further planning work 
except when changes in procedures are contemplated. 
Frequent change of beats undesirable. The highest quality of patrol services  results
from the permanent assignment of an officer to a beat. Police hazards vary  from place
to place, and the resulting police duties consequently vary in nature  from beat to
beat. Advantages may be taken of difference in abilities and  preferences of patrol
officers by assigning them to beats having duties for which  they are best suited.
Frequent beat changes prevent an officer from becoming well  acquainted with
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

persons, hazards, and facilities on his beat; they also interfere with  continuity of
service because the investigation and disposition of cases sometimes  extend over
several days, and when a change is made, there is delay and  sometimes neglect in
disposing of these cases. 
Finally, frequent changes of beat assignments make it difficult to place 
responsibility for unsatisfactory conditions. Procedures that interfere with the 
application of the important rule that officers should be held responsible for the 
performance of their duties must not be tolerated. 
Rotation of shifts is undesirable. Most efficient patrol service is attained by the 
permanent assignment of patrol officer to a platoon unit such time as the quality of 
his/her services and the need for them justify transfer to another platoon. Police 
hazards, facilities, persons aboard, and physical conditions vary according to the 
hour of the day or night; consequently, knowledge of conditions on one shift is not  as
useful to service on another shift.  
Police duties at night are quite different from police duties during the  daytime,
and the officer should not be rotated if the advantages of specialization  are to be
derived and if the officer’s skills to be developed in handling certain types  of
situations. 
Usually, the first platoon (midnight to 8 A.M shift) is considered the least 
desirable, and the second platoon (daylight shift) the most desirable. Recruits  should
be assigned for training and experience to the first platoon, where their less  frequent
contact with more critical citizens lessens the disadvantages of their  experience. Also,
if recruits exposed only to qualified field-training officers, they are likely to develop
superior attitudes and work habits. Well-trained, experienced, very active officers are
needed on the third platoon (evening shift); officers should be  assigned to this shift as
they become skilled by experience in police service and as  they develop seniority.  
As they become older in years, more experienced, and less active physically, 
officers should be transferred finally to the day shift as a reward for long, efficient 
service; their knowledge of police service and acquaintance with the general public 
will prove most useful on this shift, and they will be subjected to less physical strain.
Permanent shift greatly facilitate having different numbers of officers on each shift,  in
proportion to workload. Rotation of shifts, on the other hand, may force a chief to
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

adopt the same number of beats on each shift simply because of the scheduling 
difficulties 
TYPES OF PATROL. 
The most common and known form of police patrol the world over is that 
performed on foot by a police officer in uniform. Its success in controlling crime was
discovered in London since 1763, when Henry Fielding, aided by his brother St. John,
both of whom successively, were Bow Street magistrates, organized a force known  as
the Bow Street Foot Patrol. This was a group of men, privately employed and, 
specially trained as thief takers. Its demonstrated utility gave rise to Robert Peel’s 
Metropolitan Police Act of 1829. 
On the modern police department, there are many types of patrol. In this  unit
they will be discussed as the type of patrol, the advantages and disadvantages  of each
and various techniques that may be utilized. Most patrols are assigned to a  particular
area called a BEAT, and they are referred to as Beat Patrols.  
The size of the BEAT is determined by: 
a. The type of area to be patrolled ( business, farming, residential, recreation,  etc.) 
b. The type of criminal activity that occurs in the area. 
c. The frequency of crime in the area
To properly cover the beat, when it is needed, patrols assigned in shifts. 
Shifts are usually determined by, the number of personnel available and, the 
frequency of calls for police service. 
A. FOOT PATROL 
The foot patrol is the most expensive type of patrol; and most departments 
have reduced their foot patrols to a minimum because of this. However, it does  have
certain advantages that warrant its continued use if even on a limited basis.  Usually,
a foot patrol is assigned to an area of dense population such as the  downtown area,
or where there is heavy traffic congestion and the assistance of an  officer is needed
to help eliminated traffic jams. 
Foot patrol is used to secure two types of police geographical units: 1. Post – a
fixed position or location where an officer is assigned for guard duty. 2. Beat – the
smallest area specially assigned for patrol purposes. Types of Foot Patrol 
1. Fixed foot patrol – is usually used for traffic, surveillance, parades and 
special events 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

2. Mobile foot patrol – is used where there is considerable foot movement  such as
patrolling business and shopping centers, high crime areas, and in  places
where there are many or multiple family dwellings. 
a. line beat patrol is used in securing a certain portion of roads or street 
b. random foot patrol is sued in checking residential building, business 
establishments, dark alleys, and parking lots. 
Some of the advantages of the Foot Patrol Beat 
1. The foot patrol officer can provide immediate traffic control when it is  needed.
Being within a close proximity to problem areas, he will know when  his
assistance is needed due to the increase of traffic. He does not have the  problem
of parking his vehicle, nor finding a place to park it without causing  further
traffic problems. 
2. More person-to-person contact can be made with the public. This provides  greater
chances to promote good public relations. However, if the wrong  man is given
this assignment, it can backfire and harm public relations. The  foot patrol officer
makes more personal contacts and is seen more by the  public than any other
type of patrol, therefore becomes an important link  between the department and
the public.
3. The officer can actually get to know the physical layout of his beat better.  There
are many things that an officer misses by patrolling his beat in a police  car
because of the speed he is traveling and because of the size of the beat. 
4. He gets to know the public on his beat better, and can develop criminal 
informants easier. He can also make rendezvous with informant easier  without
being noticed since he does not have to park his police car nearby.  
5. A foot patrol officer can sneak up on situation where a patrol car is easily 
noticed when it approaches. 
Basic Techniques and Procedures of Foot patrol 
1. Do not establish a set of pattern of patrolling procedure 
2. Walk systematically (with purpose) on the beat while on patrol 3. Do
not smoke nor drink while on patrol especially during night shift. 4.
Walk near the curb during daylight. This technique offers: 
• a better view for observing street activity 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• less chance of obstruction by pedestrian on the sidewalk if you are required  to


take quick action 
• higher police visibility, which is effective in crime prevention 5.
Walk near buildings during night patrol. 
6. Do not immediately open the door when intending to get inside. Observe and
evaluate first the situation. 
7. Check the interiors of buildings and rattle door knobs to ensure that the 
premises are secure 
8. Enter and inspect alleys when not seen by public. 
9. Watch for persons loitering or hiding in doorways, either ingress or egress
10.Use fire escapes to inspect building rooftops once in a while. 11.Be
attentive or on alert for the sound of breaking glass  
B. AUTOMOBILE PATROL  
The automobile is the most economical type of patrol, and offers the greatest
tactical ability when used in numbers. The automobile has advantages over all other
methods of transportation for general patrol under ordinary conditions.
Some of the advantages of the automobile patrol  
1. When speed and mobility are needed such as in a large area that must be 
covered by few officers, the speed of the automobile allows them to service  the
whole area and do so efficiently. 
2. It is of the best means of preventive enforcement. The patrol type police can  with
its distinctive colors, red light and doors insignia, is very effective in  deterring
criminal activity by making people conscious of the presence of  police enforcers,
and by creating an awareness of punitive action. 
3. It offers the officer protection. It protects him from the weather and to some  extent
from traffic in that he would probably suffer less if hit by another car  while he is
in the patrol car than he would if he is walking. 
4. It permits the officer to carry extra equipment such as rain gear, extra 
clothing, first aid equipment etc. 
5. Patrol vehicles can be used as barricades in roadblocks, and they also offer a 
higher degree of safety during pursuit of criminals. 
General techniques and procedures in automobile patrol 1.
Thoroughly check the patrol car before leaving the garage. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

2. Do not establish route patterns in patrolling the area of jurisdiction (sector) 


3. Do not develop the habit of using only the main arteries (primary routes) in  your
area. Most criminal activity occurs at the back streets, out of sight from  the main
thoroughfares. 
4. Always take note the license numbers of strange or suspicious vehicles.  5.
Do not spend too much time in drive-inns or coffee spots. 
6. Get out from the patrol car regularly/frequently  
7. Se an example to other motorists 
8. Avoid driving too fast on general patrol conditions except during emergencies or in
pursuing criminals/suspects. Maintain a cruising speed of 20-25 mph  during
patrol. This is slow enough to make detailed observations without  impeding the
traffic flow. 
9. When conducting solo patrol, maintain frequent contact with the dispatcher  or
other communication personnel in the field or at the HQ.  
10.If you are patrolling with a partner, divide the observation area around your 
vehicle 
11.Minimize hiding behind hills, curves or signboards to trap traffic violators.  This is
bad PR and serves to erode community confidence in the police sense  of fair play. 
12.Frequently check the potential trouble spots in your patrol area. 
13.Stop periodically among parked cars at the entrance of side streets to 
observe activity on the street.  
14.Check the occupants of vehicles that stop beside and behind you at 
intersections. 
15.Check parking lots in your patrol area regularly for abandoned stolen 
vehicles. 
16.In stopping and checking a vehicle, park at the rear side of the suspect 
vehicle. Leave the door slightly open unless the area is highly populated. 
17.Make it a habit not to leave the key in the police car even for just a minute.
One Man versus the two man automobile patrol 
Two man patrol car 
1. A two man patrol car provides the officer with a greater safety factor doubling the
manpower and the physical protection. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

2. The mistake that one-man makes may be caught by his partner, and vice 
versa. 
3. One officer does not have to drive a full eight hours, and therefore, he is 
physically fit and can do a better job. The variety of tasks makes the job  more
interesting. 
4. Two pairs of eyes are better than one. It is difficult to drive in our present  traffic
let alone devote much attention to what is going on around us while  we are
driving. 
5. One-man can operate the radio while the other drives. 
6. On quiet nights the driver can have someone to talk to and help keep him 
awake. Morale is improved through companionship. 
One-man patrol car 
1. The preventive enforcement is doubled by having as many police car on the 
street.
2. When the officer is alone, he devotes his full attention to his driving and the  beat
rather to the conversation with his partner.  
3. In a two-man car, the officers begin to rely on each other, and as a result of 
human error, an officer expects support when it isn’t there. A man alone 
develops self-reliance. 
4. In the two-man car, an officer will take more chances than if he is alone. He 
apparently builds a false sense of security, and sometimes acts without  caution
because he does not want to appear to be a coward in front of his  partner. 
5. Personality clashes are reduced. Riding in a small patrol car with another 
person for eight hours will soon reveal most of his faults. In a short time  these
faults can get on the other person’s nerves. 
NOTE:  
Historically, the traditional foot patrolling in the Philippines was initiated in 
August 7, 1901 by operation of Act No. 183, known as the Charter of Manila,  enacted
on July 31, 1901. Governor William Howard Taft, the first Civil Governor of  the
Philippines formally created the Manila Police Department. Likewise, the second
recorded event concerning patrol method in police work was on March 10, 1917, as 
provided for in the Revised Administrative Code of the Philippines when it  mentioned,
“Requirement of police service or patrol duty for male residents.” 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

After fifty-three years of foot patrolling in the Philippine policing system the 
first automobile patrol was introduced on May 17, 1954 by the Manila Police 
Department, through the initiative and foresight of Hon. Arsenio H Lacson, the first 
elected Mayor of Manila Isaias Alma Jose was designated by the Mayor to organized
the first automobile patrol. He was appointed the first Chief of the Mobile patrol 
Bureau that he commanded for ten years. 
C. HORSE PATROL (Mounted patrol)  
The horse patrol is one of the oldest types of patrol next to walking. At the 
present time there is still need for the horse patrol where the terrain is steep and 
rough. The disadvantage of the horse patrol is the cost of stables and upkeep, and 
their limited use in a city. They are not much good at chasing criminals in an 
automobile. They tire easily and require close physical attention. 
The following are some of the most common uses of horse patrol: 1. Park
patrol 
2. Beach patrol
3. Posse and search duty - any community that is close to, or part of a  mountainous
area has the problem of chasing down escaped or wanted  person who have fled to
their areas. They also have the problem of children,  hunters and fishermen
becoming lost in those areas. The mounted posse is  undoubtedly the best means
of locating these persons when used in  conjunction with the helicopter.  
4. Parade and crowd control  
 The horse also provides its rider with higher and better plane of vision than  the
driver of a patrol car. 
D. DOG PATROL  
History shows us that dogs have been used as a means of personal protection
throughout recorded history. During world war 11,the military on all side widely  used
dogs as a means of security and protection. ( Egyptian first to use dogs in  patrolling).
In US, dogs have been used in police patrol since 1900. In April 1957,  Baltimore was
the only American police force that used trained dogs handler teams  on patrol. As of
April 1968, about 200 police agencies used a total of 500 man dog  teams in police
patrol work.  
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

The key to the successful use of police dogs in patrol is based first of all on an
understanding and willing master; second is, on the proper selection and training of 
the dogs; and finally is, on preparing the general public for their use.  
To become a dog’s master or handler, the officer must first of all have an 
understanding of animals. He must be willing to make personal sacrifices in 
keeping the dog, as must his family.  
The selection and training of dogs is very important, and can present many  problems.
Not all breeds of dogs are suited for police work. Even among those  most suited for
police work there many that didn’t work out. The type of dog that  so far seems to be
the best suited for all round police work is the German Shepherd. 
The use of dogs can work out fine, but if the public thinks that they are a 
danger to the community as well as to the criminal, they will not last. A well 
planned public relations campaign must be conducted to show the general public 
that the police dog is gentle except when commanded by his master, and that his 
use will be restricted to the more serious offenses.  
Uses of dogs or K-9s in police operations 
1. Provide great assistance in search and rescue as well as in smelling out drugs and
bombs. 
2. Provide protection for one officer patrol.
3. Great value in crowd control. Trained dogs are fearless and loyal to their  handlers
have a significant psychological effect on would-be trouble makers. 
4. Extensively used in international airports to detect narcotics and bombs 
because of their keen sense of smell. A dog is capable of recognizing an  odor
10 million times better than a human can. 
5. Specially trained dogs are extremely effective in finding bodies dead or alive,  just
buried or buried for years. 
6. Locating trapped people during emergencies. 
7. Can be an asset to public efforts. Well trained police dogs can be used for 
demonstrations in public affairs, schools, or parades. 
What breeds of working dogs are best suited for police works? 
1. German Shepherds – the most frequently used and highest scoring dog for 
police work. 
2. Black Labrador retrievers and Giant Schnauzers 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

3. Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers 


4. Bouviers and Newfoundlands 
5. Airedale terriers 
6. Alaskan malamutes 
Disadvantages of using K-9 
1. Most police dogs work with only one handler. 
2. K-9, like most dogs, is territorial, and its handler and its K-9 cruiser are part of  its
territory. 
3. Dog training is expensive. Dog training usually takes 10 to 20 weeks. 4.
Police department that K-9 section is vulnerable to law suits. E.
AIRCRAFT PATROL .  
Among the more recent trends in patrolling is the use of aircraft, either  helicopter or
fixed-wing. Today, it has become necessary for the police use aircraft  in performing
both routine and specialized patrol activities. The use of aircraft is not totally new. In
1925, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department has already  formed a volunteer
Reserve Aero Squadron. Full-time Aero detail is still an official  unit in this police
department today. Before 1929, the New York police department 
began using aircraft. In 1947, the New York Port Authority began using helicopters 
for surveillance, transportation, and rescue. Other cities and state agencies in USA 
have employed helicopters, usually during daylight hours. In 1986, the state of 
California developed an experimental program using helicopters for police patrolling
known as SKY KNIGHT. During the latter part of 1959, the Public Safety Department 
of Dade County in Florida used the aerial patrol concept. At present, it is effectively 
utilizing fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters in regular patrols to prevent crime and 
apprehend offenders or engage in surveillance activities.  
Advantages of Fixed-wing Aircraft Patrol 
1. Patrolling long stretches of highway or expresses of inaccessible land. 
2. Excellent for traffic control in long stretches of highways, for search and 
surveillance and other special missions.  
Disadvantages of Fixed-wing Aircraft Patrol 
1. Fixed-wing aircraft has very little flexibility in congested metropolitan areas.
2. Needs a space of flat land for lift-off and landing. 
3. Very expensive to operate. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Advantages of Helicopter Patrol 


1. Able to travel at low speeds, to hover if necessary, and to land even in small  patch
of flat land. 
2. Increased visual range/scope. 
3. More efficient for rescue, medical evacuation, surveillance, and other high 
profile police activities. 
4. Improved response time to emergency calls and other called-for service 5.
Increased rate of apprehension of professional and organized crime groups. 6.
Improved efficiency of regular patrol units through airborne reconnaissance. 
7. Increased ability in conducting searches for missing/lost people suspected 
offenders and escaping prisoners. 
8. Provide a better system of flood lighting areas to be patrolled at night. 
9. Capable of broadcasting information to a large area through airborne 
speakers. 
10.Provide rapid emergency transportation of personnel.
11.Added security to patrol officers on foot, motorcycles or in patrol cars through
backup offered by aerial patrol. 
Disadvantages of Helicopter Patrol 
1. Very expensive – high cost of training of pilots/operators, buying, fuel, and 
special facilities for housing and maintenance. 
2. Public complaints about the noise and about being spied upon. 
3. Forcibly grounded during bad weather; smog and light or intermittent clouds 
affecting visibility.  
4. Presence of various hazards especially in congested areas. 
5. There are landing patterns or procedures that must be followed, which delays
landing time. 
6. Pilots must work shorter periods of time than regular police shifts since driver of
helicopters easily suffer work fatigues. 
7. There are many tactical problems to overcome such as location of police units on
ground and the exact location of addresses. 
8. Element of surprise is lost since criminals could hear the helicopter coming  even
from a great distance.  
F. BICYLE PATROL  
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Bicycle patrols are more common in temperate urban areas where limited 
coverage areas are available. The use of bicycles instead of cars can make police 
officers more easily approachable, especially in low-crime areas. Bicycles can also  be
issued to police officers to enhance the mobility and range of foot patrols.  Bicycles
can also be effective crime-fighting tools when used in densely populated  urban
areas. The bikes are nearly silent in operation and many criminals do not  realize
that an approaching person on a bike is actually a police officer.  Furthermore, if the
criminal attempts to flee on foot, the riding police officer has a  speed advantage
while able to quickly dismount if necessary. 
In the Philippine setting the bicycle patrol was once introduced by the Manila  Police
in 1939 to augment the foot patrol coverage in parks and residential areas. 
Unfortunately, when two patrol officers were killed, one was stabbed when chasing  in
his bicycle a bag snatcher at the Luneta Park, while the other one was sideswiped by
a bus. Bicycle patrol was abandoned it was then considered hazardous.  
Advantages of Bicycle Patrol 
1. It is economical or inexpensive to operate.
2. It has the combine advantage of mobility and stealth because it can be 
operated very quietly and without attracting attention. 
3. To control burglaries which are getting out of hand. 
G. MOTORCYCLE PATROL  
Although the use of motorcycle has lost ground to the use of patrol cars in 
recent years, their need in congested traffic will insure their continued use as a form
of police patrol. The two-wheel motorcycle is quite adaptable to traffic  enforcement,
parades and escort duty. It has disadvantages of being used only in  fair weather, of
causing a greater number of accidents that are usually quite  serious, and in the long
run costing the department almost as much as a patrol  vehicle despite the apparent
low rate cost. 
The chance of a motorcycle rider being injured is nine times as great as that 
of the driver of an automobile. He is also four times likely to be killed than police 
officer riding in an automobile. 
The three-wheel motorcycle is used almost exclusively in the enforcement of 
parking. It has the disadvantage of not providing the rider with protection against 
the weather. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

H. MARINE PATROL/BAY AND RIVER PATROL/ BOAT PATROL  


Marine or water patrol units, aside from being a highly specialized form of 
police patrol, is likewise expensive to maintain. In the early years of the PC/INP 
integration, it was the Western Police District who introduced this type of patrol in 
police work. 
The objective was to use the watercraft in the anti-smuggling operations 
along the Pasig river and Manila Bay as well as against robberies committed in 
bonded warehouses located along the riverbanks. However, because of the 
expenses incurred in its operation and maintenance did not compensate the 
advantages, police use it became inoperative. 
Water patrol units are extremely specialized and are not in great use except 
in areas with extensive coasts or a great deal of lake or river traffic. The objective 
was to use the water vehicles in anti-smuggling operations as well as against 
robberies committed in warehouses along riverbanks or water ports.  
Like aircraft, boats are expensive to buy, operate and maintain. Further,  those who
operate them must have special training. Nonetheless, boats are the  best means to
effectively control violators of water safety regulations as well as to  apprehend drug
and gun smugglers. They are also valuable in rescue operations  during times of
flooding as well as in dragging operations for drowning cases.
PATROL TACTICS, STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES 
If the police are to continue to fulfill their basic responsibilities to detect and  deter
crimes and to apprehend criminals that are the primary goals of patrol  activities, they
must continue to search for new and more effective patrol activities.  
No single patrol strategy will work well in all cases or in every police 
jurisdiction. The choice of the particular patrol strategy, or combination of 
strategies, to be employed will depend upon.  
1. the resources of the police agency concerned 
2. the particular crime problems and patrol objectives 
3. the characteristics of the individual community 
4. the imagination and determination of the police administrator and his patrol 
commander in developing patrol strategies tailored to best meet the needs of their
department, the community their police will serve. 
Types of Police Patrol: Preventive, proactive and reactive.  
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

The reactive function is a constant activity representing the bulk of what the 
public expects police agencies to do- answer calls for services; enforce laws; arrest  
criminals; give traffic citations, and perform random preventive patrol.  
The proactive function requires officers to develop directed or structured  patrol
strategies in response to identified crime problems. Officers are empowered  with new
responsibilities to cope with crime. To a large extent, these new  responsibilities
downplay the use of random, moving patrol cars. Instead emphasis  is placed in
tactical planning to develop patrol strategies for responding quickly and  effectively to
a myriad of crime problems (i.e. a series of street robberies in a  neighborhood, a
pattern of rapes at an apartment complex, or drug dealing on a  school campus
attributed to the actions of juvenile gang.) These types of tactical  response strategies
are again dependent on accurate and timely information from  crime analysis units. 
The third function is referred to as “co-production” or “co-activity”. It can be 
defined as an active outreach and systematic engagement between the police and  the
public for the purposes of identifying and addressing localized problems of crime and
disorder. Co-activity addresses long range strategic problems identified  through
ongoing contacts between individual patrol officers and the citizens in a  specific
geographic area.
Theoretically, officers become more familiar with a district the longer they  work
in their assigned areas. Therefore, officers are expected to identify what  services are
needed in specific areas through self-directed effort. Through self direction, officers
are expected to contact people, explain why they are needed,  seek assistance in
problem identification and learn how to coordinate police agency  involvement to
remedy the problem. 
The Psychology of Omnipresence: Patrol Strategy in crime prevention  
While it is true that the patrol officer cannot detect the thinking or desire of 
the criminal yet, he can destroy the opportunity to commit a crime by his ever 
presence patrol strategy. The psychology of omnipresence, as an initial police 
strategy, is to establish the aura of police presence in the community, and is best 
exemplified and effectively applied in: Patrol’s crime prevention activities by 
uniformed foot patrol officers as well as mobiles patrol crew in conspicuously 
marked radio-equipped, patrol cars.  
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

There is no denying that a criminal in planning to commit a crime is not solely


prompted by his strong desire. More importantly, he has to consider the presence  of
an opportunity, i.e. the absence of apprehension, wherein the police are known to be
lax, inefficient, scarce. So, the communities in which, their police have  established a
reputation of being extremely vigilant and aggressive in their patrol  functions are
avoided by criminals.  
The Walking Beat: The traditional patrol pattern 
Before WW11, the walking beat or foot patrol was the only type used by our 
local police forces for crime prevention activities. It was a very successful method 
because of strict supervision employed- close personal supervision; supervision by 
instrumentation; that resulted in a highly and satisfactory visible police presence. 
During those years, the Manila Police Department, looked upon as the  premier law
enforcement agency in the country, have installed throughout the city  the “Gamewell
Police Call-Box System.” Gamewell is simply the trade name of the  American
manufacturer, its system operates like a telephone. It is operated only by 
a specially fitted solid brass key issued to every police officer assigned for patrol  duty
as part of his official police equipment. The distribution of those “boxes” were  so
strategically apportioned that two or three patrol officers of adjoining beats can  use
one call-box, that the set-up facilitated the supervisory technique of the patrol 
supervisor over his patrol officers. 
Another patrol strategy, to further assure his high and constant visibility,  is
through the following patrol pattern:
a. The Clockwise pattern – The Police Manual and the List of Patrol Beats  were the
police bibles. It must be memorized if one has to stay in the police  service. A beat
patrol officer, irrespective of the size and number of beats, is  assigned two call-
boxes. The objective of the clockwise patrol pattern at the  start of the 8 hour tour
of duty is for the patrol officer to survey the situation  and condition of the
boundaries of his area of responsibility. 
b. The Zigzag or Freewheeling Patrol Pattern – this is done by patrolling  the
streets within the perimeters of the beats, not at random, but with a  definite
target-location where he knows his presence is necessary. This  
action is on course based on his study of the situations and conditions of his 
beat. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

c. The Counter clockwise Patrol Pattern – this technique is simply the  reverse of
the clockwise patrol pattern. It is done at the last hour of the 8  hour tour of duty
in order to ensure that nothing unusual has happened in his  area of
responsibility. 
d. The Straightway and the Crisscross Patterns – the straightway is  patrolling the
length of a street, and therefore, the easiest to observe the  movement of the patrol
officer, whereas, the crisscross is more or less similar to the zigzag pattern. 
What is important is that the movement technique of a patrol officer must 
have a purpose and objective. It is not aimless nor at random. The observation of 
the patrol officer must keenly be aimed at persons and things, the sources of 
hazards. 
Mobile Patrolling: Concept of Operation  
The operation of mobile patrol shall be under centralized command, 
irrespective of the size of the department and the area of coverage where, the 
assignment of the patrol cars and its crew components shall be the sole 
responsibility of its commander. 
The radio cars shall be used exclusively for patrol functions. Flexibility in 
their deployment shall be the primary consideration. Normally, radio cars shall be 
allocated to areas in accordance with – a) volume of crime incidence; b) need for 
police service; and c) prevalence of hazard. 
The mobile patrol crew, perform the same functions and duties and is subject 
to the same discipline like his counterpart- the man on the beat. The only 
distinguishing feature is found in the extent and facilities for patrol performance 
where the crew is provided with an automobile equipped with two-way radio 
transceivers to afford immediate communication and dispatch to scene of crime. 
Two Phases to consider in managing mobile patrol
1. Administrative Aspect 
a. Staff supervisor – an inspector in charge of shift or platoon 
b. Disposition officer – supervising deskman 
c. Deskman – patrol officer assigned to receive phone calls from public and 
reports from mobile patrol crews. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

d. Dispatcher – patrol officer in charge of the radio control room that are 
dispatching mobile patrol crew to scene of assignments, transmitting, and 
receiving, recording radio message. 
2. Operational Aspect 
a. Field supervisor – one who supervise mobile crew in the field, for discipline  and
performance. 
b. Crew – normally two men complement of uniformed patrol officers in the 
radio car, one acting as the driver and the other as the recorder. 
Team Policing 
Team Policing represents an attempt to integrate the police and community 
interests into a working relationship so as to produce the desired objective of peace 
keeping in the community. Team policing is said to have originated in Aberdeen 
Scotland, shortly after WW11. The project was introduced by the Aberdeen Police  out
of boredom, it appearing that their police officers who, were assigned alone to  patrol
quiet streets during the night were, getting bored and experiencing low  morale. To
remedy the situation, it allocated teams of five to ten men on foot and in patrol cars to
cover the City of Aberdeen. The patrols were distributed according to  the
concentration of crimes and citizen’s calls for police service, with the teams  moving to
different sections of the city as the workload demanded. Thus, the  monotony and
loneliness were relieved. 
Whatever was the motivation for its introduction in police performance the 
system was abandoned in 1963 in the city of its origin. Nevertheless, its influence 
had already spread an adopted by no less than 70 police agencies in the United 
States. The Syracuse Police Department in New York was the first American City to 
try team policing. This was followed by the Tucson Arizona also in 1963. 
Characteristics of Team Policing 
a. Geographic stability of the patrol force. 
b. Maximum interaction between team members 
c. Maximum communication between team members and community residents
Organizational Features of Team Policing – While the structure and  composition
of team policing programs vary widely, these programs usually exhibit  the following
organizational features: 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

a. Unity of Supervision – intended to enhance consistency and continuity of  police


policies and procedures and to provide greater uniformity in  developing solutions
to community problems.  
b. Low-level flexibility in decision making – team members are encourage  to
share and exchange ideas, and work together in solving problems within  their
area of responsibility. 
c. Unified delivery of services – it places emphasis on the development of 
generalist, rather than specialist, skilled among team members. 
d. Combined investigation and patrol functions – this is designed to bridge the gap
between patrol officers and investigators, thereby leading to a more  cooperative
approach to problem solving. 
High and Low Visibility Patrol  
The general tendency in crime prevention strategy is high police visibility to 
ensure citizen feelings of security for the law abiding but the creation of fear for 
would be violators. However, in other instances, low visibility patrol programs have 
been designed to increase police activities of arrest of criminals who have already 
committed or are in the act of committing selected types of crimes. The theory 
underlying the high visibility patrol concept is that, certain types of crimes can be 
reduced by, increasing the aura of police omnipresence in the community. Another 
strategy is the saturation concept wherein selected risky crime of robbery in 
residential areas of the city is saturated by intensive patrol of clearly marked police 
cars equipped with 2-way radios. 
Low-visibility patrol is a strategy wherein members of the force in plainclothes patrol
areas on foot or in unmarked automobiles where street crimes become high risk
crimes. Under the low-visibility set-up the primary purpose of the patrol is no  longer
crime prevention but crime repression, wherein the objective is – the  increased
apprehension of criminals engaged in selected street crimes, and the  deterrence of
criminal activity as a result of greater probability of apprehension. 
Directed Deterrent Patrol  
An alternative to random routine patrol is directed patrol, in which officers are
given specific directions to follow when they are not responding to calls. The  directed
patrol assignments are given before they begin their tour and are meant to replace
uncommitted random patrol time with specific duties that police  commanders believe
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

will be effective. Directed patrol assignments can be based on crime analysis, specific
problems, or complaints received from the community.
Split force Patrol  
One of the problems with directed patrol, however, is that calls for service 
often interrupt the performance of directed patrol assignments. Split force patrol 
offers a solution to this problem. One portion of the patrol force is designated to 
handle all calls dispatched to patrol units. The remaining portion of the officers 
working that tour, are given directed patrol assignments with the assurance that 
except for serious emergencies, they will not be interrupted. 
Decoy Patrol  
One of the primary purposes of police patrols is to prevent crime through the 
creation of sense of omnipresence; potential criminals are deterred from crime by  the
presence or potential presence of the police officer. Obviously, omnipresence  does not
work well. We have crime both on our streets and in areas where ordinary  police
patrols cannot see crime developing, such as the inside of a store or the  hallway of a
housing project. Additionally, we have seen that retroactive,  investigations of crimes
with the intent to identify and arrest perpetrators, is not  very effective. Decoy
operations take several forms. Among them are blending and decoy. In blending,
officers dressed in civilian clothes try to blend into an area and  patrol it on foot or in
unmarked police cars in an attempt to catch a criminal in the  act of committing a
crime. Officers may target areas where a significant amount of  crime occurs, or they
may follow particular people who appear to be potential  victims or potential offenders.
In order to blend officers assume the roles and dress  of ordinary citizens - -
construction workers, shoppers, joggers, bicyclists, physically  disabled persons, and
so on—so that the officers without being observed as officers, can be close enough to
observe and intervene should a crime occur. 
In decoy, officers dress as, and play the role of, potential victims –drunks, 
nurses, business people, tourists, prostitutes, blind people, or defenseless elderly 
people. The officers wait to be the subject of a crime while a team of backup is 
ready to apprehend the violator in the act of committing the crime.  
Stop and Frisk  
To imprint in the mind of criminals the feeling of fear of arrest is the  application of
the strategy of “stop and frisk” both by the foot patrol and the mobile  crew. When
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

patrol officers are observed stopping persons on the streets whose  behavior is
suspicious, determining them briefly by questioning and frisking them  for concealed
weapons, the action of the police heighten the effect of high visibility  patrol. The
method of frisking is to pat down the outer clothing of the suspect for  any concealed
weapon or contraband. Frisk is not a search because the officers do  not insert his
hand inside the pocket of the suspect. Instead, it is the suspect 
himself who produce from his pocket, as required by the officer the object or article 
in question.  
Evolution of Communication 
Communication is the exchange of information between individuals, for  example,
by means of speaking, writing, or using a common system of signs or  behavior. It is
the act of giving or sending information. It refers to the transfer of  thought or idea
from one person to another. It is the process of sharing ideas,  information, and
messages with others in a particular time and place.  
Communication among animals  
Humans are not the only creatures that communicate; many other animals 
exchange signals and signs that help them find food, migrate, or reproduce. The  19th
century biologist Charles Darwin showed that the ability of species to exchange 
information or signals about its environment is an important factor in its biological 
survival. 
Language  
while other animals use limited range of sounds or signals to communicate,  humans
have developed complex systems of language that are used to – ensure  survival;
express ideas and emotions; tell stories and remember the past; negotiate  with one
another. Oral language is a feature of every human society or culture.  
Symbols and Alphabets 
Most languages also have a written form. The oldest records of written 
language are about 5000 years old. However, written communication began much 
earlier in the form of drawings or marks made to indicate meaningful information 
about the nature world. The earliest artificially created visual images that have  been
discovered to date are paintings of bears, mammoths, wooly winos, and other  Ice Age
animals on cave walls near Avignon, France. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Perhaps the earliest forerunner of writing is a system of clay counting tokens 


used in the ancient with the Middle East. The tokens date from 8000 to 3000 BC  and
are shaped like discs, cones, spheres and other shapes. They were in clay  containers
marked with an early version of cuneiform writing, to indicate what  tokens were
inside. 
Cuneiform was one of the first forms of writing and was pictographic, with 
symbols representing objects. It developed as a written language in Assyria (an 
ancient Asian country in present day Iraq) from 3000 to 1000 BC. 
The oldest known examples of script-style writing date from about 3000 BC. 
Papyrus sheets (a kind of early paper made from reeds) from about 2500 BC have 
been found in the Nile Delta in Egypt bearing written hieroglyphs, another 
pictographic-ideographic form of writing. 
The Chinese writing system is called logographic because the full symbols, or 
characters, each represent a word. Cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyph eventually 
incorporated phonetic elements. 
Interpersonal Communication 
A face-to-face at the same and in the same place daily communication. The 
most basic form of interpersonal communication is a dyad (an encounter or 
conversation between two people). Communicating well in a dyad requires good 
conversational skills. Communicators must know how to start and end the 
conversation, how to make themselves understood, how to respond to the partner’s 
statements, how to be sensitive to their partner’s concerns, how to take turns, and 
how to listen. 
Interpersonal communication occurs with larger groups as well, such as when
a speaker gives a talk to a large crowd. However the audience can respond in only  
limited ways (applause, nodding, whistles, boos, or silence).  
History and Fundamental concepts of Police Communications 
Communication has always been a part of law enforcement. Since man’s  existence
on this earth, there has been a need for a system by which a man could  warn his
fellowman of existing or pending danger, or send him messages. 
In primitive times, the pounding of hollow logs or the beating of animal skin  drums
was used to convey a message. Later man discovered that when he cut the  tip from
the horn of an animal and blew through it, the sound carried for quite a  distance.
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

We find its use mentioned throughout the Bible, and it was certainly the  main
warning instrument used in the “Hue and Cry” even into the twelfth century.  In the
Orient, the brass gong and finally the bell, became the warning instrument. 
In Western civilization, until very recently, the church bell, high in the steeple,
not only called the people to church services, but warned the town or village of 
imminent dangers. The American Indian used smoke signals, bird calls and drums  in
his effort to communicate and send out warnings.
In the history of Anglo-American police patrol, the horn was replaced by the 
hand-bell and rattle, and then finally the metal whistle. 
Semaphore systems (visual codes) of flags or flashing lights were employed  to
send messages over relatively short but difficult-to-cross distances, such as from 
hilltop to hilltop or between ships at sea. In the early 1790’s the French scientist and
engineer Claude Chappe persuaded the French government to install a system of 
towers that used semaphore signals to send visual telegraphs along approved  routes
throughout the country. The system was copied in Great Britain and the  United
States. 
Some ancient societies, such as the Roman or Byzantine empires, expanded 
their territorial control far beyond their original boundaries, and traded with distant 
neighbors. To hold on to their far-flung territories, they needed two technologies  that
have remained closely tied ever since: transportation, and the ability to record 
information.  
Police communications are the backbone of police tactics. Without proper 
communications, the modern police department would be lost. When police  vehicles
were first used, there were no radio communications as we know it today.  The
system of notifying patrol vehicles of emergencies and calls for service was  handled
by the installation of red lights at the major intersections of the town or  city. When
headquarters wanted to contact a police car, they would pull a switch  that would
send power to the red lights at the intersections.  
The next time the patrol car passed the intersection and saw the red light on, 
he would drive to headquarters for the assignment. When telephones became more
common, the officer would call headquarters when he observed the light signal. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

When radios were first installed in police vehicles, they were usually just 
receivers and did not have transmitters for answering calls. The radio operator 
would broadcast the calls, and hope that it was received. 
A brief history of the development of police communication is as follows:  
1877 – The Albany New York Police Department installed five telephones in the 
mayor’s office connected to precinct stations. This was only two years after 
Alexander Graham Bell developed the telephone, which indicates how quickly the 
police saw the value of the telephone and how promptly it was utilized as a tool of 
law enforcement. 
1880 – The Chicago Police Department installed the first “Police Call Box” on a city 
street. Only officers and “reputable citizens” were given keys to the booth. Before  this
time a signal box was used that would signal the emergency without voice 
communications. Detroit made such installations in 1884 and Indianapolis in 1895. 
1883 – The Detroit, Michigan Police Department installed one police telephone. This
was significant when one considers the fact that there were only seven telephones  in
the whole city at that time. In 1889 the department established a new division to
handle communications. It was called the Police Signal Bureau. 
A code wheel was installed in the box so that when the beat man called in for his  time
check, it would register at headquarters with the proper signal for that call box. This
insured that the beat officer was in fact at the location from which he claimed  to be
calling. 
1916 – The New York Harbor Police installed spark transmitters so they could 
communicate with their police boats while they were patrolling the harbor. This also
enabled them to communicate with other boats and ships in the harbor. 
1923 – The Pennsylvania State Police installed point-to-point radio telegraph 
between their headquarters and various posts throughout the state. 
1928 – On April 7, 1928, the world’s first workable police radio system went on the 
air. The Detroit Police Department went on the air as station W8FS. The transmitter
was installed on Belle Isle in the Detroit River, and the receiver was installed in 
cruiser No.5. 
This was the climax of seven years of work and development under the direction of 
Police Commissioner William P. Rutledge. The major problems in making a radio 
receiver work reliably in a police car were receiver instability and lack of sensitivity. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Added to this were problems involving red tape with the Federal Radio Commission 
(predecessor to the Federal Communications Commission).
By 1927 the prohibition era had seen the development of big time crime and the 
gangsters were making wide use of automobiles as “get-away cars.” The police  were
under great pressure to control the situation, but always arrived at the scene  too late.
Commissioner Rutledge then persuaded Robert L. Batts, a young radio  technician
and student at Purdue University, to come to Detroit and work on a radio  receiver
that would operate in a police car. It was through this effort that the first  workable
police radio setup was developed.  
1929 – In September of 1929, the Cleveland Police Department went on the air with  a
few cars, and in December of the same year, Indianapolis became the third police  
department in the world to set up a workable police radio system. 
1930 – The Michigan State Police became the first state police organization to go on 
the air in October of 1930. It proved very effective in apprehending bank robbers  and
other gangsters. 
1931 – The first police motorcycle was equipped with a radio by the Indianapolis 
Police Department in September, 1931. 
1933 – In March 1933, the Bayonne New Jersey Police Department went on the air 
with the first two-way, mobile police radio system. 
1934 – By 1934 so many police departments had police radio systems that they 
were being used as inter-city communications for all types of general police 
messages and the Federal Communications Commission had to intervene and 
establish strict control on police radio communications, restricting non-emergency 
messages to wire communications. 
1935 – Because the police departments did not understand the government 
restrictions, they (at first) refused to obey them and police radio men from all over 
the country banded together to form the APCO (Association of Police 
Communications Officers) recently changed to the (Association of Public-Safety 
Communications Officers)  
1939 – Daniel E. Noble, of Connecticut State College, developed the first FM 
(Frequency Modulation) mobile two-way transmitters and receivers for the 
Connecticut State Police. This was to bring about a change in the whole mobile 
radio picture.
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

1940 – Motorola President, Paul Galvin, saw the value of FM over the AM for mobile 
police communications, and hired Dan Noble to develop two-way FM for Motorola 
Police Radio Sales. One of Noble’s first developments was the remarkable  Differential
Squelch Circuit which demonstrated greatly increased range in fringe  areas. 
1945 – The Federal Communications Commission allocated frequencies for FM, and 
it became the established system for police radio communications. 
Today most departments have three-way radios where the patrol car in the field 
may not only carry on a two-way conversation with the base radio, but may also 
carry on the same type of conversation with other police vehicles in the field.
( Payton Patrol procedure)  
COMMUNICATION PROCESS  
An explanation of communication process begins with a basic problem- it 
cannot be examined as an isolated event. Communication is a process, and so it 
must be understood as the totality of several interdependent and dynamic  elements.
In the aggregate, communication may be defined as the process by  which senders
and receivers interact in given social contexts. Another  understanding of this
definition is that the process of communication requires that  we examine the
several elements that make up the process, encoding,  transmission, medium,
reception, decoding, and feedback. The word medium  comes from the Latin word
medius, meaning middle or between. It is a channel –  such as a radio, book, or a
telephone – is called medium; media is plural.  
Encoding  
Experience cannot be transmitted as experience. In conveying an experience to
another person, we do not relive that experience with that person. Even in the  most
scrupulous reproduction of an experience, every element cannot be  duplicated. At the
very least, the time period is altered, and intervening  experiences have altered us as
individuals. To convey an experience or idea to  someone, we encode that experience
into symbols. We use words or other verbal  behaviors and gestures, or other
nonverbal behaviors to convey the experience or  idea. These symbols are our code;
they stand for certain experiences; they are not  experiences themselves. 
Transmission 
Encoding involves only the decision to use a symbol for some concept. The 
element of transmission involves the translation of the encoded symbols into some 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

behavior that another person can observe. The actual articulation (moving our lips, 
tongue, etc) of the symbol into verbal or nonverbal observable behavior is 
transmission. 
Medium  
Communication must be conveyed through some channel or medium. Media 
for communication may be our sight, hearing, taste touch, or smell. Some other 
media are television, telephone, paper and pencil, and radio. The importance of the
choice of the medium should not be minimized. All of us are aware of the difference
between a message that our superior delivers personally and the one that is sent 
through a secretary or by a memo. The medium, like the chosen symbol, has an  effect
on the meaning that the listener eventually attaches to the message in the  process of
decoding. 
Reception 
For the receiver, the reception of the message is analogous to the sender’s 
transmission. The stimuli, the verbal and nonverbal symbols, reach the senses of 
the receiver and are conveyed to the brain for interpretation. 
Decoding 
The process of interpretation occurs when the individual who has received  the
stimuli develops some meaning for the verbal and nonverbal symbols and  decodes
the stimuli. For the receiver, then, decoding is analogous to the process of  encoding
for the sender. These symbols are translated into some concept or  experience of the
receiver. Whether this receiver is familiar with the symbols, or  whether interference
such as any physical noise or physiological problem occurs.  ( Swanson Police
administration) 
Systems of Communication 
Paper and Printing – the first lightweight medium was papyrus, an early form of 
paper used by the Egyptians that was made from grasses called reeds. Until the 
1400s in Europe, all documents were handwritten. Copyists and editors called 
scribes recorded commercial transactions, legal decisions and pronouncements, and
manuscript copies of religious books – many scribes were working in monasteries.  In
Asia, block printing had already been developed by Buddhist monks in China in 
about the 8th century. A similar technique was later used in the 15 th century by 
Europeans to make illustrations for printed books. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

An early version of movable type of printing was first developed in China 


around 1045, and was independently developed by Koreans in the 13 th century AD. 
In 1450, the German printer Johannes Gutenberg perfected the movable metal type 
and introduced the first reliable system of typesetting, a key invention in the 
development of printing. 
Postal Services – different societies have devised systems for transporting  messages
from place to place and from person to person. The earliest were courier type services
whereby messengers carried memorized or written messages from  one person to
another, and returned with the reply. The postal service was  established in the
United States in 1789.  
The Telegraphy – it is the first electronic medium which sends and received 
electrical signals over long distance wires. Telegraph systems were immediately  useful
for businesses that needed to transmit messages quickly over long distances, such as
newspapers and railroads.  
The Telephone –it is a device that would transmit the human voice over wires 
instead of electrical clicks or other signals. The telephone network has also  provided
the electronic network for new computer-based systems like the: internet;  facsimile
transmissions; and world wide web. 
The Radio – the earliest systems for sending electrical signals through the air via 
electromagnetic waves was called wireless and later radio.  
The Television –it is the transmission of visual images by means of 
electromagnetic waves. 
The Computers – the earliest computers were machines built to make repetitive 
numerical calculations that had previously been done by hand. Computer networks 
can carry and digital signals, including video images, sounds, graphics, animations, 
and text.
Channels of Communication:  
A. Verbal Channels – one-on-one conversations, telephone conversations,  radio
dispatch, interviews, meetings, news conferences and speeches are the most
common verbal channels of communication. 
B. Written Channels – includes notes, memos, letters, e-mails, faxes, reports, 
manuals, bulletins, policies and the like. Written communication has the 
advantage of being permanent but the disadvantage of being slower and  usually
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

more expensive. The disadvantage of written communication,  however, is lack of


immediate feedback. (Bennett & Hess Management and  supervision in law
enforcement) 
Barriers to Communication  
• time 
• volume of information 
• tendency to say what we think others want to hear 
• certainty word 
• prejudices (sender and/or receiver) 
• failure to select the best  
• strained sender-receiver relationships 
Special Problems in Communicating 
• Communication security 
• Interference on the line 
• Communicating with those of the opposite gender 
• Communicating with the elderly 
• Communicating with non-english speaking  
• Communicating with those from a different culture
• Communicating with individuals with disabilities or conditions affecting 
speech 
• Communicating with individuals who are mentally ill 
• Communicating with individuals who are mentally retarded or autistics. 
The Police Radio Dispatcher – The radio dispatcher is the personnel in a police 
communication center or coordinating center tasked to receive and transmit radio 
messages. Before a policeman or civilian can become a radio dispatcher, he must  
be trained formally or through an OJT. The dispatcher is also called radio 
coordinator and radio operator. 
Basic Qualifications of a radio dispatcher or operator 
• Ability to speak clearly and distinctly at all times 
• Ability to reduce rambling and disconnected material into concise and 
accurate messages. 
• Ability to think and act promptly in emergencies. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• Ability to analyze the situation accurately and to take an effective course of 
action. 
• Thorough understanding of the technical operation of his own system to allow
intelligent reporting of equipment failures. 
• Physical and mental ability to work effectively under all conditions 
encountered. 
• Knowledge of the rules and regulations applying to dispatcher’s 
responsibilities. 
Voice Qualities of Effective radio dispatcher  
• Loudness or volume – depends on the size of the human voice box 
• Pitch or voice frequency – the level of the voice depends on the number of  cycles per
second emitted by the speaker(high pitch is not pleasant and clear in talking
through mike.) 
• Timbre – the quality of a speech sound that comes from its tone rather than  its
pitch or volume. 
Voice requirements of effective radio dispatcher 
• Alert – give impression of alertness, being enthusiastic and interested in the 
person calling. 
• Pleasant – create a pleasant office image with voice with a smile since 
pleasantness is contagious. 
• Natural – use simple straightforward language; avoid repetition of mechanical words
or phrases; avoid technical terms and slang. 
• Distinct – speak clearly and distinctly; move the lips, tongue and jaw freely;  talk
directly to the telephone. 
• Expressive – a well modulated voice carries best over the mike; use normal  tone
of voice; not too loud nor too soft; vary the tones to bring out the  meaning of
sentences and add color vitality to what you say. 
Administrative and operational communication net  
Most police communication centers operate in a two-stage manual process. 
When a call is made to the police department, the officer at a complaint desk 
position, first determines the need for police action, and then records the details on  a
card. The card is then routed to a dispatch console where the operator has  control of
one or more radio channels. In the smaller organizations, this is usually 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

accomplished by handling the card from one person to another. In larger 


departments it is customary to use a conveyor belt system between the two 
positions. 
The operator at the dispatch console then establishes radio contact with the 
patrol unit and relays the details of the complaint. The dispatcher also has the duty 
of maintaining a record of the status of the police vehicles under his control. If 
information is needed from the records division or from some computer source, the 
operator must then phone for this information. 
Techniques in radio communication  
Since communication over a police radio presents many problems, the  following
information is intended to better help the patrol officer in this endeavor. 
A department can have can have some of the finest communications 
equipment in the country, but its use becomes greatly impaired if the officers in the 
field are not familiar with the proper use of the equipment, and do not adhere to the
basic rules of radio procedure. The increasing population has resulted in an  increase
in crime and the need for “air time”. One of the best ways to insure the  proper use of
air time, is to follow the ABC’s of radio transmission.
The ABC’s of Radio transmission  
(A) Accuracy. It is the correctness and truthfulness of what is being 
communicated. The major cause of inaccuracy is haste and impatience. The old 
saying that ”haste makes waste” certainly applies to police communications. 
(B) Brevity. This means using few words. Due to the expanding volume of radio 
traffic, it is essential that there be no unnecessary or repetitious words in the 
transmission. The use of police code can help maintain brevity. 
(C) Courtesy. It is necessary for rapid and efficient service. Courtesy begets 
courtesy. Anger begets anger. The courtesy in police communications is more of a 
form of respect than expressed words. It can be shown in the tone of voice.  
Clarity, the second C. It can be best obtained through two main areas: 
1. Semantics – the science of meanings as contrasted with phonetics, the  science of
sound. Proper semantics would be transference of thoughts or  ideas between
people through communication without a loss or perversion of  the original
meaning or intent. There are two ways to improve semantics.  Learn through
experience what the most common errors are; and think before talking. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

2. Phonetics – is the science of sounds. It is the understanding of a  communication


through the proper sounding of words. There are three main  areas of phonetics
that hinder good police communications; radio  interference and distortion; poor
pronunciation; and similar sounding words  and letters. 
Phonetics maybe improved through the following 
• Not speaking too fast, or slovenly. Talk with the mouth open. 
• Use the phonetic alphabet when the word is likely to cause trouble. Unusual 
surnames should be spelled phonetically. 
• Use similes. This can be done by saying that something is like something  else.
i.e. wood as in firewood; green like grass. 
Police telecommunication System
An answer to the problem of communications can in many cases be a switch 
to a computerized system. This will not only increase overall efficiency but can also
save money when everything is taken into consideration. The major saving is in  time,
and time is money. With the shortage of qualified police officers, any device  that can
cut down on man hours is sorely needed. 
The modern automated system usually has about five components: 
1. The complaint officer video terminal and keyboard. Here the complaint officer
receives calls for police service and the information is typed on the  keyboard. This
information then goes to the computer. 
2. The central mini-computer. First it records the information received from  the
complaint officer. This becomes the daily log. At the same instant the  information
is registered at the appropriate dispatch console. The computer  which has all
addresses by beat, will search the new address and will assign  the proper beat
area designation. The computer also lists the radio code,  priority, message, time,
case record number, and the availability and location of field units. 
3. Time of day digital clock. This can record the time that the call was  received, and
dispatched and when the officer arrived at the scene and when  he came back into
service. 
4. The computer storage file. This file is digital magnetic tape storage and is
attached to the computer. It contains the daily log and can later provide  various
types of information for research and planning. 
PATROL OPERATION WITH POLICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

5. The command dispatch console. This console contains two TV type  screens. One
is the Video Data Terminal which shows all of the information  about the request
for service, including a case number, time of arrival,  priority and radio code. The
other is the Situation Display which shows an  abbreviated case record number, a
special color indicating priority, and a  projected map that shows the availability
and location of field units. With the knowledge gained by glancing at the map
Situation Display, the dispatcher  can then decide which unit to send to a
particular incident. If he should  desire more information about the call, he need
only dial the computer, and  all of the information would appear on his Video Data
Terminal.  
THANK YOU,
GODBLESS, 
And good luck!!

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