Patrol Officer Duties

Police officers play a crucial role in maintaining the safety of communities around the country. They help keep our neighborhoods safe by enforcing laws and apprehending criminals (IACP, 2016). One of the major responsibilities of law enforcement is carried out with the help of patrol officers and investigators (Womack, 2007).

Patrol officers make up more than 60% of the employees in a police department. The job of a patrol officer includes; responding to calls, issuing tickets, preliminary investigations and conducting interviews (Womack, 2007). In the past, the patrol officer would have little responsibility in criminal investigations. These officers would only have to obtain basic information from victims and witnesses (Lyman, 2014). Over the past ten years, the role of the patrol officer has expanded to include responsibilities that used to only be assigned to

The benefit of having the patrol officer handle these investigations is that it allows investigators more time to focus on high priority cases. Most departments will train their patrol officers on the investigation process. In departments with few investigators, patrol officers are given more responsibility in conducting the preliminary investigation (Womack, 2007). Studies have shown that these preliminary investigations are important because they provide the foundation for the follow up that is done by the investigators (Womack, 2007). If done right, having the preliminary investigation done will save a step for the investigator and allow them to spend their time on higher priority cases (Womack, 2007).

The duties the patrol officer performs during the preliminary investigation vary depending on the crime. Both the type of crime and the location of the crime, indicate the urgency of a call. The patrol officer uses this information to decide how to proceed with their investigation (Lyman,