Explain the difference between random and directed patrols. How do computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems assist police officers in their patrol duties?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. Random patrol includes making the rounds of a specific area with the general goal of detecting and preventing crime. Every police department in the United States randomly patrols its jurisdiction using automobiles.In contrast to random patrols, directed patrols target specific areas of a city and often attempt to prevent a specific type of crime. Directed patrols have found favor among law enforcement experts as being a more efficient use of police resources than random patrols.Nearly all the police departments in the country use computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems to manage their incidence response strategies. With CAD, a 911 dispatcher enters the information from a caller into his or her computer, which prioritizes the emergency based on its nature. CAD verifies a caller's address and phone number, and determines the closest patrol unit to the site of an emergency. In many jurisdictions, the details, including any previous 911 calls from a location, are then sent to a mobile digital terminal in a police officer's patrol car.