Emphasizing that the patrol officer is the most important member of the police organization, the text outlines basic police goals and objectives; factors that affect patrol operations, such as local politics and community characteristics; and particular occupational hazards of police patrol, such as job stress and psychological trauma. A section on police patrol methods and strategies discusses automobile versus foot patrol; specialized patrol methods--bicycle, canine, and marine patrol; the controversy over one-officer versus two-officer patrol units; and the take-home patrol car program implemented by some departments to increase police visibility. Different patrol tactics and strategies are described, including preventive police patrol, team policing, high visibility and low-visibility patrol, decoy patrol, and split-force patrol. Additional sections outline basic principles of organization and management and patrol force staffing and deployment. In addition, the uses, advantages, and background of police communications centers, automated information systems, classification schemes for call dispatch, and the 911 emergency telephone number are discussed. The police records system, and special support functions, such as criminalistics, are described as supports to patrol operations. The attributes and functions of effective police patrol supervision are reviewed, and the importance of training personnel and enhancing patrol operations is assessed. Tables and figures are included. Study objectives, summaries, and review questions are provided for each chapter. Case studies include such programs as the Integrated Criminal Apprehension Program in Portsmouth, Va.; the program of Operation Empathy, in Covina, Calif., in which police officers were exposed to the arrest and incarceration process; and the Stress Control Program for police officers in the Miami Police Department (Florida). A training needs assessment form and a bibliography of about 180 citations are appended.