Prevention of Crime in the United States

Police in the United States: Police Operations Prevention of Crime

Introduction to Prevention of Crime

The patrol division, consisting of uniformed patrol officers and supervisors, provides basic police services. In addition to foot and automobile patrol, officers engage in a variety of activities in response to citizens’ needs. The greater part of patrol today is carried out by officers in police cars assigned to specific beats, or designated areas of the community. In small agencies, one-officer patrol cars are prevalent; in larger cities, combinations of one- and two-officer cars are common. Use of women officers for patrol duty is increasing; before 1970 the practice was unknown.

Recent research has raised doubts about the effectiveness of preventive patrol to curb most kinds of crime. Crime prevention, however, also means activities related to improving the security of homes and businesses, and to educating citizens to protect themselves. Most large police departments maintain a crime prevention unit to provide these services.” (1)

Resources

Notes and References

• Information about Prevention of Crime in the Encarta Online Encyclopedia

Guide to Prevention of Crime