NCJ Number
132806
Date Published
1992
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The available research on the police patrol function shows clearly that traditional vehicle patrol has little impact on crime, fear of crime, or other major police objectives; however, changes such as community policing and problem-oriented policing have beneficial effects in some of these areas.
Abstract
Modifications such as directed patrol, saturation patrol, and aggressive patrol have at least limited effects on the incidence of street crimes. In addition, foot patrol and community policing reduce fear of crime and improve citizen satisfaction with police. Furthermore, problem-oriented policing contributes to more effective police problem solving. However, further research is needed to address several important issues. These include the need for differentiation in police practices to match the norms and values of particular communities, methods of resolving conflicting community demands or dealing with an apathetic community, and the political role of police in advocacy for community improvement. Other unresolved issues include the emphasis that should be placed on crime control instead of other police responsibilities and whether police have enough time to handle problem-oriented policing and community policing along with their other duties. 53 references