discussion response 50

Question 1: If patrol has a minimum effect on reducing crime, why do police departments continue to expend a disproportionate amount of their resources to this function?

Patrol is a crucial part of policing. Patrol serves as the eyes and ears for the department, and creates a good network inside the region that helps policing a lot. Patrol isn’t solely for deterrence. It also helps apprehend offenders in the streets. It provides a feel of safety and order within the community when police are always around. Patrol operates to also serve the community in ways not dealing with crime. And patrol also works the roads and polices traffic. I think it makes sense to have police out and about so that they can just be there. It is advantageous to have someone there just in case. There is urgency in a lot of police matters, so having an officer close to the scene can be very important. Also patrol can know the ways of the area very well. If the police needs to find someone or locate a specific place, police that are always patrolling will more than likely know the area well and could know where people are that they frequently encounter. Overall, patrol works as a network that can fulfill needs of a department in their area. Patrol does a good job of enforcement, maintaining order, and serving the community.

Charleszania

If patrol has a minimal effect on reducing crime, why do police departments continue to expend a disproportionate amount of their resources on this function? When they came up with patrol officers felt as though it would increase the effectiveness of the police officers. Having patrols set up it was used for ” crime prevention and deterrence, apprehension of offenders, creation of a sense of community security and satisfaction, provision of non-crime related services, and traffic control” (Roberg and Kuykendall, 1993, p.308). In order for patrols to be effective we have to come together as a community with officers so we can trust the police with our lives and we would trust then as a community. With so much going on in the news we need more patrols but most people don’t trust the police having patrols would not help. The effectiveness of patrols are good but we have a wall up between police and the people of the community.