Proactive Tactics

Proactive Tactics

04/18/10

Proactive Tactics

The three proactive tactics used within policing are uniformed tactical operations, decoy operations, and stake out operations. Uniformed tactical operations are the same as traditional patrol method, but it is more aggressive. There are two kinds of uniformed tactical operations; aggressive patrol tactics and saturation patrol (Dempsey & Forst, 2005, p. 175). The uniformed tactics purpose is to pull officers from there typical patrol and calls to have them concentrate on proactive crime control. I think this tactic works effectively, because officers are able to act quickly and help prevent injury to fellow officers, pedestrians, and suspects.

Decoy operations help prevent crime before it happens. “One of the primary purposes of police patrol is to prevent crime through the creation of a sense of omnipresence; potential criminals are deterred from crime by the presence or potential presence of the police” (Dempsey & Forst, 2005, p. 177). In a decoy operation, officers play a certain role and dress accordingly to apprehend criminals. The decoy officer will make the initial contact and a back-up team waits to move in. Decoy vehicles are also often used in decoy operations to protect the officers and to prevent any suspicion among suspects. I believe this tactic is effective, because it keeps officers safer when dealing with certain criminals that cannot be apprehended by uniformed officers.

A stake out operation is when a “group of heavily armed officers who hide in an area of a store or building waiting for an impending holdup” (Dempsey & Forst, 2005, p. 180). Stake out operations usually take place when a department is aware or have a hunch that a crime is going to take place. The stake out officers will get in place at the designated area and wait to apprehend then suspect(s). Stake out operations are controversial because they are expensive and often lead to death...