Patrol & Enforcement Strategies

Patrol Strategies

• Preventative patrol aims to eliminate misconduct opportunity by increasing police presence.
• Preventative patrol goals include deterring crime, apprehending criminals, satisfying public demands, developing a sense of security, and recovering stolen property.
• The theory behind preventative patrol is that a visible officer presence reduces crime and increases public security.
• A crime triangle consists of a motivated offender, suitable victim, and lack of capable guardianship.
• Crime is likely when all three elements are present, and greatly reduced if one is absent.
• Directed Enforcement (Hot Spot Policing) utilizes specialized groups to target specific issues.
• Directed Enforcement uses collected data to identify high-crime areas and saturates them with increased police presence and enforcement efforts.
• Directed Enforcement involves creating task forces focused on specific crimes to address community issues.

Contact and Cover

• Contact and Cover assigns two roles to officers interacting with a suspect: contact and cover officer.
• The contact officer leads the conversation, conducts searches, records information, recovers evidence, and handcuffs arrestees.
• The cover officer observes the incident for safety issues, protects the contact officer and watches the suspect.
• The cover officer corroborates events, discourages escapes, alerts the contact officer to hidden evidence, monitors the radio, uses force if needed, and warns of threats.
• Concepts to maximize contact and cover effectiveness are distance, stance, and positioning.

Distance

• Distance refers to maintaining a reactionary gap, where Distance = Reaction Time.
• The distance shouldn't hinder communication, be too close for sudden attacks, or prevent passing objects.
• The distance should allow the cover officer to react quickly to an attack on the other officer.

Stance

• Officers should adopt a stance that provides stability and tactical advantage, such as the bladed stance or field interview stance.

Positioning

• Positioning involves how officers and their partner position relative to the suspect(s).
• Triangulation and the contact and cover "L" are commonly used positioning tactics.
• Triangulation is a technique for gaining an edge during field contacts.
• In triangulation, officers position themselves less than 90 degrees apart to minimize crossfire potential, forming a triangle with the suspect.
• Triangulation allows each officer to act as a "point man" and maximizes resources by deploying "radar" (eyes) and "firepower" (firearm) from separate positions.
• Communication and adaptation are key to maintaining triangulation, with either officer able to take the lead.
• With one officer dealing with multiple subjects, the officer should position themselves to prevent suspects from triangulating.

Preparation

• Checking personal gear before shift is crucial, including the duty belt.
• Duty belt equipment includes handcuffs, flashlight, radio, baton, magazines, gloves, holster, and duty weapon.
• It's essential to ensure all equipment is functioning properly.
• This includes checking lights, sirens, radio, medical equipment, fire extinguisher, and weapon release system.
• Vehicles should be checked, ensuring lights, siren, and radio are functioning.
• The back seat should be checked to make sure that is empty and free of contraband.
• Briefings at shift changes share information on recent events and departmental focus areas.
• Briefings facilitate information sharing, training updates, and paperwork submission.
• Mental preparation is crucial; officers must leave personal issues behind and focus on the job.
• Maintaining focus is essential due to the potential for life-threatening situations.
• The "what-if" game helps develop mental preparedness for various scenarios.

Patrolling Safely and Effectively

• Police response can be broken down into driving to the scene, arrival on scene and approach.

Driving to the Scene

• Efficient and safe arrival at the scene is paramount.
• The call dictates the urgency and appropriate response.
• The officer must drive safely and effectively to reach the incident.

Arrival on Scene

• Deciding where to position the patrol vehicle can provide a tactical and safe advantage.
• Parking out of sight is a common rule.

Approach

• Approaching the scene depends on the nature of the call.
• Factors determining the approach include presence of a gun, serious injury, and type of location.
• Principles that apply no matter how you want to approach are:
  • Not slamming the car door
  • Turning off sirens
  • Turning down the radio mic
  • Not giving away your position by silhouetting
  • Turn lights off

Radio Traffic

• Radio transmission protocols vary by agency.
• Protocols to know include:
  • Contacting dispatch (general)
  • Calling out a traffic stop
  • Running a subject for wants and warrants
  • Calling out an arrest and transportation
  • Status Check concept
  • Officer Down
  • Phonetic Alphabet

Crime Broadcast

• Common crime broadcasts include "Attempt to Locate (ATL)" and "Be on the Lookout (BOLO)."

ATL (Attempt to Locate)

• ATL notifies all law enforcement in the area to actively search for a suspect or vehicle.
• A full description of the suspect/vehicle is best.

BOLO (Be on the Lookout)

• BOLO notifies all law enforcement to keep an eye out for a suspect.
• Local law enforcement won’t stop what they were doing to search but as they are going about their day, they will keep their eyes out for the suspect.
• A full description of the suspect/vehicle is best.

Security Checks

• Residences and businesses use security systems for safety.
• Law enforcement responds when alarms trigger.
• Officers should remain vigilant despite repeated calls to the same location.
• Elements to consider during security checks include:
  • Information Gathering
  • Approach
  • Tactics

Information Gathering

• Attempt to get information from the security company regarding open door or motion sensor
• Attempt to contact the owner
• Determine if anybody is supposed to be there.
• To determine if there are officers available in the area to assist.

Approach

• Limit noise on arrival (i.e. siren, squealing tires, slamming doors, loud radio).
• Use Cover and Concealment.
• Ensure proper communication with partner (if on scene).
• Advise dispatch of entrance.

Tactics

- Building Search Tactics

Plain Clothes and Undercover

• Officers may encounter plain clothes or undercover officers.
• Be aware of departmental operations and briefings.
• Do not approach and engage in conversation to avoid compromising the operation.
• Continue patrolling as if they were any other citizen.

Foot Pursuits

• Foot pursuits are emotionally charged and dangerous.

• Officers must balance law enforcement duties with personal safety.

• Factors to consider when determining to pursue include:

  • Suspect's potential warrants
  • If the suspect is armed
  • Level of fighting skills
  • Suspect's physical condition
  • Possibility of suspect being psychotic
  • Suspect under the influence of dugs
  • Potential for ambush
  • Uncertainty of any other potential aiding suspect

• During 42% of pursuits, suspects assaulted deputies.

• Deputies used soft-hand tactics in 72% of pursuits, and hard-hand tactics in 38%.

• 17% of foot pursuits resulted in injuries to one or more deputies

• 60% of foot pursuits resulted in injuries to one or more suspects (most involved a lone suspect being injured).

• This information should be remembered for the purpose of training.

• The tactics to improve safety include:

  • Immediately calling for assistance on the radio
  • Providing a good description of the suspect with direction of travel
  • Slowing down, carrying on moving surveillance
  • Stop, find cover, arm yourself, and set up a perimeter
  • Get centered, check in with yourself and get back into forebrain cognitive processing
  • Let the suspect tire out from running
  • Calling for a K-9 and or a helicopter if available to search for the suspect.
  • It's usually a matter of when, not if, you will catch the suspect.