NCJ Number
140648
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 40 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 20-24
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Rural policing differs from urban policing in many ways, particularly in the lack of immediate backup, as shown by the experiences of law enforcement agencies in Wyoming, Montana, and Missouri.
Abstract
According to an instructor with the Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy, many vehicles in Wyoming contain firearms. Therefore, police officers are trained in three aspects of police safety: equipment, one-person tactics, and mental and physical preparation. They are also instructed to wait for help to arrive, even if it is 60 miles away. Violence against police officers is usually random and related to the recent commission of a crime. In Montana, highway patrol officers have changed their vehicle stop procedures. Instead of using the angle stop, troopers go to the rear of their patrol cars, using the entire car for protection when ordering possible armed suspects from their vehicles. Another difference between rural and urban policing was illustrated by the killings of several law enforcement personnel and the wife of one. The perpetrator knew where each of the victims lived, and most people in the community also knew the victims. In rural areas, cooperative relationships among law enforcement agencies and effective telecommunications equipment are also crucial to effective law enforcement. In addition, citizen support for the police is strong. Photographs