Why is Patrol Considered the Backbone of Policing?
by What I want to add is that we cannot survive without the patrol unit and the effort and time that is involved with patrol. Without patrol there is not consistency with following any form of crime. Patrol is the sounding board regarding the articulation of any police agency.
Regardless of where patrol is located in the command structure, patrol is considered the backbone of a police agency. It is the most visible element of policing; readily identifiable police vehicles operated by uniformed officers are often the first line of contact between the police agency and the community, lending an atmosphere of safety. Police agencies are created to serve the community, and the patrol division is the first line of communication between the community and the police agency. If this division did not exist, there would be little need for the rest of the police agency, because nearly everything a police agency handles begins with the patrol officer” ( Dantzker). From a “personnel perspective, patrol is the starting point for most rookie police officers. It is from patrol that officers receive many of their formative experiences”. But in reality, patrol officers are the lowest-paid police officers and the least consulted by investigators and administrators, even though they are more involved in answering citizens’ calls for service than any other member of the agency”( Dantzker).
What I want to add is that we cannot survive without the patrol unit and the effort and time that is involved with patrol. Without patrol there is not consistency with following any form of crime. Patrol is the sounding board regarding the articulation of any police agency. The police that are involved in patrolling neighborhoods within a community are dedicated and caring human beings—who are extremely articulate and skilled in assessment of the community’s needs. They understand the form of the community, and understand what to look for regarding normal and abnormal happenings which are associated within the crime element. They get paid little and are the most important part of any agency involving the police. They should get paid much, and I mean much more for the dangerous and obscure situations they patrol and have to deal with as police. Police that patrol are underrated for the amount of work they perform and the dedication they give to the department within the community and the community itself.
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