Patrol

A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as law enforcement officers, military personnel, or security personnel, that are assigned to monitor or secure a specific geographic area. From French patrouiller, from Old French patouiller “to paddle, paw about, patrol”, from patte “a paw”. Patrolling In military tactics, a patrol is a sub-subunit or small tactical formation, sent out from a military organization by land, sea or air for the purpose of combat, reconnaissance, or a combination of both. The basic task of a patrol is to follow a known route with the purpose of investigating some feature of interest or, in the assignment of a fighting patrol (U.S. combat patrol), to find and engage the enemy. A patrol can also mean a small cavalry or armoured unit, subordinate to a troop or platoon, usually comprising a section or squad of mounted troopers, or two armoured fighting vehicles (often tanks). In non-military law enforcement, patrol officers are police officers (or, for private entities, security guards) assigned to monitor specified geographic areas. In this instance, patrol refers to the action of patrolling—that is, to move through their assigned areas at regular intervals to detect or prevent violations of the law or problems of any kind. Patrol officers are the most recognizable members of the police, and are the government officials encountered most frequently by the public. Their duties include responding to calls for service, making arrests, resolving disputes, issuing tickets, taking crime reports, conducting traffic enforcement, investigating crimes, and conducting crime prevention measures. A patrol officer is often the first responder on the scene of any incident, and their actions can greatly affect the outcome of the investigation, as well as the lives and safety of themselves and others. Patrols are often done with the intent of community policing, to improve relations between police and the public.