Walking the Beat

by Matrim Chambers, Former Police Patrol Supervisor

The others answered this pretty well, I just wanted to add something that stuck with me during my academy days.

I was told that an officer is far easier to approach on foot than in a car.

If I had some time I always made sure to chat with people while grabbing coffee. I tried to always take a walk, whether it be down to our park, along the river, or through a few blocks in town. The number of times I've been stopped to talk about a concern was, well probably most of the time. I could go days without someone trying to engage me while sitting in my car.

I've had some fantastic conversations while out walking, and made some spectacular arrests I would never have caught while driving.

Another thing I was told that I made sure to do (and strongly suggested others do when I was a supervisor) was to walk through your area and stop in at every business and introduce yourself, get to know the people. They are far more likely to approach you, in my experience, if they know you. It also helps them get to know the police department better and fosters respect.

While foot patrol may not often be the norm, I think it's a valuable tool that shouldn't be forgotten.

I don't know if it's still done in NYC, but I remember reading a book about an officers career in the NYPD, and foot patrols were definitely normal. They even had something they called "vertical patrol" where they would go up and down the high rises.