The logic behind Random preventive patrol
Patrol is among the fundamental functions that the police force carries out across the globe. Due to the increase in the crime levels, governments have heavily invested in patrol, to ensure that the patrol operations go on smoothly. Random preventive patrol is one of the major components of the wider patrol agenda of the police force. This form of patrol is conducted by police officers who may use a car, bicycle or foot to go around a neighborhood (Sherman & Eck, 2002). The criminology theory behind the use of random preventive patrol is that of deterrence. The assumption that the presence of police officers deters crime that occurs at the street level informs the tactic . Such criminal activities include drug peddling, prostitution, and petty robbery.
Most police institutions believe that random patrols are very effective in inhibiting the occurrence of criminal activity. This kind of patrol is primarily thought to remove the opportunity for criminals go about their criminal activity. Random preventive patrol has a particular function, and this is the reduction in the levels of crimes committed in the streets. It is less concerned with the crimes committed in the privacy of peoples’ homes.
Problems and benefits of random preventive patrol
A major advantage that comes with this kind of patrol is the deterrence of crime through police presence. When police officers are around an area, it is unlikely that criminals will be bold enough to engage in criminal activity. Random patrol also ensures that police can respond quickly to various incidents. It is the reason the form of patrol is at times referred to as incident driven, where officers react to emergency calls. The implication is that there is a considerable reduction in the time between a distress call is made and the response from the police.
Researchers have, however, shed various forms of the doubts associated with the random preventive patrol. The doubts majorly arise from the findings of the famous Kansas City Preventive Patrol Project carried out in 1974. The project was a functional analysis of random preventive patrol and sought to evaluate how the tactic influenced factors such as crime rates, public fear and satisfaction and even the response time. From the study, it has been established that the tactic has no effect on the various variables under study (Sherman & Eck, 2002). The implication is that the presence of police officers in the streets does not improve security outcomes. A sociological explanation to this situation has is given and highlights the irrational behavior of the offenders. Sociologists argue that the mental ability of the criminals is usually compromised, meaning that the deterrence effect of random preventive patrol does not work on them.
Improving the tactic in the 21st century
Given the inefficiency that is associated with the tactic, it is important for policymakers in the 21st century to take proactive steps in making the tactic better or adopting more efficient strategies. Despite the challenges that face the 21st-century law enforcement, there is the advantage of access to information. In improving this tactic, scholars within police departments need to do a comprehensive analysis of whether the resources are being used optimally. Investment in research should be made to establish this relationship and channel the resources towards the right activities of patrol (Mayer, Matt, & Erickson, 2011).
Besides, the police need to invest in the analysis of the trends when it comes to criminal activity. The trends will highlight the areas where their effort and resources can be applied. After the identification of the patterns, an analysis of the capacity of the ability of the officers to deal with the challenges needs to be done. This evaluation will look into the level of skill, knowledge and expertise that the police have in dealing with the new challenges in patrol. Another option would be completely doing away with random preventive patrol, and embracing other forms of patrol such as directed and aggressive patrol, which has been proven to be more efficient (Mayer, Matt, & Erickson, 2011).
Bibliography
Mayer, Matt , A., & Erickson, S. (2011). Changing Today's Law Enforcement Culture to Face 21st-century Threats. Heritage Foundation.
Sherman, L. W., & Eck, J. E. (2002). Policing for crime prevention. In Evidence-based crime prevention, (p. 295).
