Criminal Justice

Direct Patrol

Direct patrol is completely directed and predetermined patrol of specific "hot spots" of known and difficult criminal activity. It is different from traditional patrol because the patrol officers engage in very specific functions designed to prevent crime before it occurs. It involves much more research and planning than traditional patrols, and it may utilized other types of patrols, such as foot or bicycle patrols geared to certain outcomes or topography.

Sherman, Gartin, and Buerger argue against random patrols because of their very random nature. They maintain that crime itself is random, and randomizing patrols can make the desired results even more random. They maintain that even in the largest cities, there are hot spots of criminal activity, and by using directed patrols geared specifically to the crimes that commonly occur in these hot spots, it is easier to prevent and control crime. The authors' study of criminal activity in Minneapolis indicates that most of the criminal activity, and even specific types of activity, happened in particular locations in the city, and even at specific addresses within those areas, such as bars. Thus, directed patrols directed specifically at that bar, especially during peak periods, could help lower and prevent crime from occurring.

In addition, after the Kansas City Patrol Experiment, the police department noted that it was going to develop a directed patrol system to help control and prevent crime in the city. This was a direct result of what the study found, that routine patrols did not help deter and prevent crime, and that other patrol methods, such as random or direct patrols, were better at deterring crimes, especially in certain hot spots in the city. Thus, the study showed that policing can have a positive affect on a city's crime rate, and it also showed that effective community involvement, combined with direct patrol, can be a serious deterrent to crime, especially in areas of known and continued criminal activity.

References

Kelling, George L., Pate, Tony, Dieckman, Duane, and Brown, Charles E. The Kansas City

Preventive Patrol Experiment: A Summary Report. Washington DC: Police Foundation, 1974.

Sherman, Lawrence W., Gartin, Patrick R, and Buerger, Michael E. "Hot Spots of Predatory Crime: Routine Activities and the Criminology of Place." Criminology, Vol. 27, No. 1, 1989. 27-55.