PATROL: Backbone of Policing

Majority of police officers are assigned to patrol and deliver

the bulk of police services to the public.

The marked patrol car and the uniformed police officer are
the visible symbols of the police in the eyes of the public.
Days are spent on routine patrol or performing non-criminal
functions for the public. However, in spite of this routine,
the job is often more dangerous than most people imagine.
They are the ones called to respond to crimes in progress or
crimes that have just been committed.

Patrol officers are also the most important decision makers
in the police department if not the entire criminal justice
system. Their decision produces the majority of the arrest.

The uniformed patrol officer of the PNP is the
personification of law enforcement in the
Philippines. Most of the people served respect and
considered patrol officers as their protectors. Others,
however, see the uniformed patrol officers as
oppressors, nuisance, extortionist and as enemy.

It is the patrol officers responsibility to serve all
members of the community with equal dedication
and respect and with a sense of justice.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Many of the functions performed by patrol officers can also
be required in handling special events. Patrol officers are
often essential part of large public gatherings including
rallies and demonstrations, parades, sporting events, rock
concerts, political and religious gatherings, VIP security
other celebrations etc. The presence of uniformed police
officers help assure peaceful assembly and prevents
unlawful actions.
Experience on patrol is a crucial aspect of a
police officers career. The street experience is
an important part of the police officer
subculture.

It forges a bond of common experience among
officers. Many officers believe that only people
who had that experience can really understand
police work.
Why is Patrol duty is held in low status and is
generally considered the least desirable assignment?
It is a common knowledge that career advancement usually means
promotion or assignment to some more desirable duty such as
detective work (specialized divisions such as Homicide, Anti-Illegal
Drugs etc.)
In other countries and even during the glorious days of the Manila
Police Department, the patrolman is usually the lowest paid, least
consulted and most taken for granted member of the police force.
At present enhancing the status of patrol duty and improving police
morale of patrol officers are two of the most critical problems facing
the police today.
THE FUNCTION OF PATROL
Three main functions:
1. Deterring Crime
2. Enhance Feelings of Public Safety
3. Make officers available for public safety
The deterrent function of patrol as the attempt to create an
impression of omnipresence which will eliminate the actual
opportunity exist for the successful violation of law.

Maintaining Feelings of Public Safety: The visible presence
of patrol officers is designed to reassure law-abiding citizens
at the same time it deters criminals.

Being Available for Service: is accomplished by dispersing
patrol officers throughout the AOR. Patrol work is unique in
that professional police officers go to their clients. They are
extension of the government making important decisions
affecting peoples lives, working out on the street.
The Organization and Delivery of Patrol
The delivery of patrol to the public is affected by a number of
organizational factors:
1. The total number of sworn officers
2. The percentage of officers allocated for patrol
3. The distribution of patrol officers by shift and area
4. The number of officers available for duty at any given moment
5. The type of patrol (foot, motorcycle, car, bicycle etc.)
6. The style of patrol (aggressive vs. passive)
7. Management Styles of Chiefs
PATROL STRATEGIES TO CONTROL CRIME
Question: Does increasing the number of police on the
streets in preventive patrol led to the decrease of the crime
incidents?
Question: Does the Sophisticated installation of an
emergency 117 telephone number by the DILG have
resulted in a quicker response time by the police who must
wait for the public to call in the crime?
Question: Do checkpoints in Metro Manila help reduced
crime incidents in Metro Manila?
THE WATCH STYLE
It emphasizes order and maintenance to control illegal and criminal
behavior. Watch oriented police departments still existed in older
American cities where machine politics reign, and poor and
minority citizens lives.
In this style, the police exercise considerable discretion in the use of
persuasion, threats, and even street justice
to maintain order. Law enforcement is personal, and the officers rely
on their own power and sense of justice, rather than the arrest
mechanism to enforce the law. The downside of this style is that too
much discretion can result in police brutality and corruption.
LEGALISTIC STYLE

Adheres to the Letter of the Law and pursues violators by making
a large number of arrests and issuing tickets. Police attempt to
punish, to reduce corruption, and bypass political
influence/interference by enforcing all the laws all of the time.
The law backing the arrest may be outdated, ambiguous or vague.
Example latest decided cases on arrest regarding personal
knowledge of police officers. What
arrests are proper for inquest, status of warrant of arrests etc.
Arrest requiring DISCRETION particularly arrest situation wherein
there is a possibility exist of creating a serious public safety
problem. Example: an arrest that may trigger a riot. Quiapo and
Railroad tracks incidents.
Discretionary Arrest
DISCRETION is an authority conferred by law to act in certain
conditions or situations in accordance with the officials own
considered judgment and conscience. Or in short you are
confronted with infinite variety of situations, in which you must
make split second decisions about how best to enforce the law.
You should consider the following:
1. Seriousness of the crime;
2. The behavior of the subject and
3. Danger to the officer and public before making a decision.
Example: Lately a patrol officer of PS-3 MPD responded to a robbery snatching
incident involving 2 unidentified male factor riding in tandem. The said police
officer fired several shots at the suspects hitting a nurse in the forehead causing
the latters spontaneous death. Was the shooting justified?
SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT
Police set priorities, selective enforcement refers to choosing
among which laws to enforce. Such discretions may result
from command decisions known as command discretion
Example: A Chief of Police decides to de-emphasize arrests of drug
peddlers in favor of arrest of prostitutes. On the street level a police
officer may decide to ignore all violations of city ordinance, and
concentrate on serious crimes such as robbery etc.
FOOT PATROL
Foot patrol has its origins in England and America in the 19
th
century. By assigning
foot patrol officers to designated areas called beats it is presumed that the
presence uniformed police officers would prevent crime, and provide citizens
with feelings of safety.
It creates stronger ties with the community, as officers walking, talking with citizens,
and checking on safety concerns, become familiar with citizens, both good and
bad.
The disadvantage is that it isolates officers from other police and supervisors;
creating ties between the patrol officer and the neighborhood residents that result
in officer sympathy for illegal community practice, promoting biased and unequal
enforcement; and encouraging corruption.
Question: Does it promote public cooperation, do foot patrollers had a higher level of
job satisfaction?
MOTORIZED PATROL
PREVENTIVE STRATEGY OF POLICE CARS PATROLLING VISIBLY, AND
RANDOMLY, TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY SAFETY AND DETER
OFFENDERS, BY THE THREAT OF UNEXPECTEDLY ENCOUNTERING
THE POLICE.

This patrolling approach emphasizes reactive service, rapid response time, and crime
deterrence. The speed of automobiles, and the benefits of two-way radios, enable
police to respond quickly when called.
RESPONSE TIME the amount of time it takes the police to reach the scene of an
incident once it has been reported to measure the effectiveness of motorized
patrol. Response time is measured in minutes; three to five minutes is excellent.
WHICH is better when it comes to response time? American Police, British Police,
Japanese Police or the PNP.
Reactive and Proactive Style
Historically most police responses to crime have been reactive in other
words, notification/call comes in to a police office, and police
respond.
On the other hand PROACTIVE approach is simply police attempt to
control crime before it occurs. Examples: community relation police
officers interact with the public and distributed brochures and pop-
sheets on how to prevent crimes and to avoid being victims.
Detective units will identify and track down career criminals, enforce
warrants and conduct anti-crime operations, use informants and
form special task force.
Situations that calls for Strategic Thinking

The MPD mobile patrol car received a daily 5-liter gasoline
allocation which is basically not enough to patrol their beat/sector.
Question: should they stop from patrolling and wait for calls at the
MPD Headquarters similar to Fire personnel?

Can the MPD HQS monitor the locations and activities of their
mobile patrollers on the field?

What is the difference between Police Station Mobile Patrol
and the MPD HQS District Mobile Patrol Unit?

What are the common complaint of motorists and public
commuters on patrol officers?


While on Patrol can the Police Stop and Frisk
Suspects on the Street?

Experienced police officers (uniformed/detective patrol)employ what
is called a 6
th
sense that tells them criminal activity is about to be
committed or has been committed.

Some developed x-ray vision and can easily determined a person
carrying illegal contrabands (drugs and weapons) and has its unique
ways of identifying pick pockets, slashers, lifters, jumpers, credit card
artists, wanted personnel.

Many has the ability to spot motor vehicles using fake, altered or
changed plate number belonging to another vehicle



As a patrol officer, you learned that many of
your fellow patrol officers of the same rank
were accepting protection money from bookie
joints, small-time drug peddlers, mini fairs,
vendors, pimps and prostitutes.

What should you do?
A. Join them and have your name listed in the payroll.
B. Report the matter to your Chief and the IAS.
C. Make a bust and arrest.
D. Talk with the vice-operator
E. All of the above