While there are certain crimes that cannot be easily deterred, crimes committed against property and against innocent victims in public places may be reduced by police patrol. Quality of life crime is curbed by the potential criminals fear of immediate apprehension or by the increased likelihood of detection.
In deploying patrol forces to deter crime and to inspire public confidence, the department must strike a balance between the desirable deterrent affect of visible patrol and any undesirable appearance of oppression. In the long-run, however, it must be the people, not the department, who determine the limitations on their freedom.
Revised July 1, 2011