OTW question for LEOs (Thank Hollywood)

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - OTW question for LEOs (Thank Hollywood)

Posted: 6/21/2003 11:54:07 PM EDT

Scenario: Old movie.

LEO pulls over some clown going WARP 10 in a 20 mph zone.

Driver(claiming to have pull in city hall) says to the LEO, "Get outta here or I'll have you walking a beat!"

We've all seen it, we've all heard it for years.

Question is this: How many LEOs would RATHER be walking a beat than stuck in a patrol car?

It strikes me that a decent beat would be pretty good duty. You get to meet the people, have a greater understanding of who's who, and would probably be a more effective LEO.

Any comments from you guys out there in the LEO world?

I've wondered about this for years.

Posted: 6/22/2003 12:19:48 AM EDT

[#1]

I guess I'll be the first to reply. I'd think that it would be kind of nice to walk a beat. You would get to know the poeple in your area better that just driving by. The excercise that you would get is also a plus. On the other hand , it is nice to have a unit. You have much more tools (fire extinguisher, medical kit, report forms, etc.) at your disposal. you can also respond to emergency calls alot faster with a vehicle and in some cases (accidents, fights, etc,) you can get there and render assistance before thinge get really out of hand.
Just my opinion,

Karl

Posted: 6/22/2003 12:26:29 AM EDT

[#2]

Do cops even "walk beats" anymore?
I don't think they do.
At least, I’ve never seen a cop "walking a beat". Seen a few standing around, a couple on horses, and now and then maybe there’ll one directing traffic.
But I’ve never seen a cop on foot methodically walking something rhythmically consistent enough to be called a "beat"

Posted: 6/22/2003 12:27:55 AM EDT

[#3]

Bike patrol would be cool.

Posted: 6/22/2003 1:35:55 AM EDT

[#4]

Larger cities have regular foot patrols. Often in the shitier parts.

In my particular city, I would enjoy it, however I wouldnt enjoy it for too long. The heat here in summer would kill me, and the walking, 4 days a week for 10 hours would get hard on the bones.

My command encourages walking throughout neighborhoods, especially at nighttime hours. You can see and hear many more things, make positive contacts with the good guys, and actually get to know the residents.

Posted: 6/22/2003 2:26:21 AM EDT

[#5]

I spend more time out o foot than sitting in or driving around in a patrol car. It's easier to sneak up on bad guys on foot. However it sucks to be a mile away from the car when a hot call comes out...

Posted: 6/22/2003 5:40:37 AM EDT

[#6]

I did walking beat for a couple of years. It sucked. It could be a good assignment in many places, though, and many, many PDs have walking beat assignments, especially in denser urban areas. I think that a large percentage of New York's patrol officers work walking beats, but it wouldn't work in many suburbs.

Posted: 6/22/2003 5:45:29 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Larger cities have regular foot patrols. Often in the shitier parts.

View Quote

Not always true, Times Square NYC comes to mind.
I get a kick out of parking the sector car and walking around my Precinct on Friday and Saturday nights especially now that everyone has to smoke outside the bars, so it's kind of like "going out" except that you can't drink, you have to wear the polyester blues(sometimes a grrrrreat thing!) and you're still a slave to the radio.

Posted: 6/22/2003 5:51:59 AM EDT

[#8]

Austin has a dedicated walking beat, a bike patrol, and a mounted patrol. (Horses are fantastic for crowd control) There are so many they rate their own dispatcher.

Done both foot and bike. Vastly prefer the bike. All the advantages of foot patrol, with the added plus of being fast and sneaky. In certain situations, such as inside the parks or at special events such as concerts, bikes are about the fastest way to respond.

Posted: 6/22/2003 6:24:44 AM EDT

[#9]

I'm not involve in LE in anyway, but as a concerned citizen, it doesn't really pay to walk a beat anymore. How much are you paying for LE services? Sometimes you need to get the officer from point A to point B real quick. What if there is a bank robbery in progress and you're 3 miles away on foot?

Posted: 6/22/2003 7:22:02 AM EDT

[#10]

I'd love to walk more, but when your beat is 8200 square miles, except for special events, walking isn't much of an option.

Jay

Posted: 6/22/2003 3:27:16 PM EDT

[#11]

I do all three. I don't like to walk unless it is nighttime and it is nice outside. Bikes are GREAT for sneaking up on people. It is so good it should be illegal. [:D]

Posted: 6/23/2003 11:20:41 AM EDT

[#12]

I think the bike thing would be great. You can get around alot faster in a small area. I think this why you see them at colleges and bar areas.

There was a rumor that floated a round a while back that a city patrolman bothered the wrong person/s in a smaller town in Kansas. Since they couldnt fire him for that, he got assigned to the city power plant at night.
They were short a city employee to work at the power plant at night.
He went in a night and did power plant stuff instead of being allowed to work.
Thankfully he found another police job fairly fast.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - OTW question for LEOs (Thank Hollywood)

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