A major challenge for any police administrator is todetermine how to allocate the limited resources of the police departmentto meet the law enforcement needs of the community being served. Thereis no facet of policing that better demonstrates this challenge than thepatrol function. An administrator must not only assess the purpose andcapability of the patrol function within the department, but alsodetermine what the patrol will look like in the community, and when andwhere it will do so. Everyone would like to see a cop drive down theirstreet from time to time. But does everyone need a cop in theirneighborhood? What purpose and interests are being served by havingpatrol officers in one area of town instead of another? Does it makesense to saturate some areas with coverage, even if other areas will gounpatrolled? These are the real choices confronting police chiefs andsheriffs today.

Instructions:

In this assignment, assume the role of an assistantchief in the Centervale Police Department (CPD). The police chief hasasked you to develop a position paper to reflect a patrol strategy forthe department which will best serve the needs of Centervale. The chiefwants you to consider everything you know about the effectiveness ofpreventive patrol, directed patrol, broken windows theory, notions offairness and equity, and other considerations you deem important.

Here are some basic facts about Centervale that will help guide your patrol strategy:

• Centervale is a fairly large, suburban,working class community near a major American city. Your policedepartment includes 100 patrol officers.
• 50% of the population lives north of the railroad tracks; 50% lives south of the railroad tracks.
• 80% of the crime occurs north of the railroad tracks; 20% occurs south of the tracks.
• 20% of the tax base can be found northof the railroad tracks; 80% is south of the tracks (that is, most of themoney paying for town services is generated in the south).
• Crime rates in town go up significantlyat night; however, the population of the town goes up significantlyduring the day (due to an influx of reverse commuters and vibrant retailactivity).
• On average, it takes ten minutes for an officer to arrive to a callwhen dispatched from the south side of town to the north, or vice versa;however, on average it takes only five minutes to arrive to a call whenthe officer is already on the correct side of the tracks for the call.

What You Need to Do . . .

Prepare a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation todemonstrate the various types of patrol strategies, their advantages anddisadvantages, and how you would prioritize and implement patrolstrategies given the population distribution and crime rates for variousparts of the City of Centervale. The presentation will be made to thechief of police and city officials. It should include a minimum of 10slides with Speaker Notes and in-text citations along with correspondingreferences on a reference slide.

Further, justify your approach based on current researchand existing literature about preventive and directed patrol, notionsof fairness and equity, the importance of response times, and any otherconsiderations you deem important.

In any case, cite at least three additional sources ofinformation beyond the assigned readings. Feel free to make additionalassumptions about conditions within Centervale that are not presented inthe assignment (for example, the type of crime that is prevalent in thecity). However, if you do so, make sure you state those assumptions upfront in your assignment.

Assignment Criteria:

In your presentation, be sure to analyze and evaluate:

• Current research regarding police patrol functions
• The functions of preventive patrol, directed patrol, broken windows, and/or other patrol models
• Competing legitimate interests withinthe community and a rational approach toward reconciling these interestsdespite limited resources
• Clear, concise writing which reflects critical thinking skills