Directed Patrol, Studies of

Directed patrol is a strategy that uses problem-solving techniques to improve the efficiency of police-patrol activities. Directed patrol tends to focus the activity of officers in areas where there is high crime or other problems. Historically, police asserted that random police patrol deterred crime. Research debunked this belief and led police agencies to consider ways to better utilize their officers. Using a problem-solving paradigm, various police activities, including police patrol, were assessed. Directed patrol, with its reliance on problem solving, one of the pillars of community policing, plays an important role in making community policing successful.