The Beaumont Citizens on Patrol is dedicated to the concept of Community Oriented Policing in our neighborhoods. It is our belief that community members hold the greatest potential for dealing with our current environment and future challenges.

Community members are also the key element in attempting to curb crime and resolve neighborhood problems. Our patrollers are encouraged to actively participate in their neighborhood associations and Citizens on Patrol groups. We fully expect to see positive and successful results in building a strong police-community partnership through the donations of our time, energy, talents, and perceptions in addition to communication with City Officials.

1. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Patrollers must familiarize themselves with their neighborhoods in order to be effective.

A. Know the physical structure of the neighborhood.

	Boundaries and adjoining areas
	Alleys
	Businesses
	Layout of streets, dead end streets, etc.
	Know the geographical directions (North, South, East, West)

B. Become acquainted with as many persons in the neighborhood as possible on a friendly positive level.

C. Be alert for and warn business owners which have premises that may be at risk or unsecured.

D. Keep informed as to the locations of frequent problem areas involving thefts, burglaries, nuisance complaints, etc. These locations should be given special attention as a preventive measure.

E. Keep track of the identity of known criminals living in and frequenting the neighborhood.

F. Know the locations of public phones, hospitals, service stations, schools, churches, businesses that may be occupied at night, convenience stores, motels, etc.

2. PROPER PATROL PROCEDURES:

A. The purpose of Patrolling is two-fold:

	To prevent and discourage crime through high visibility patrols. Be conspicuous. The mere sight of a marked C.O.P. vehicle may discourage and deter a potential violator from breaking a law.
	To report suspicious activity and criminal activity to the police department.

B. Known chronic trouble spots should receive added attention.

C. Be unsystematic when patrolling the neighborhood.

Do not patrol according to a predictable set pattern. Violators should not be able to predict where you may be at a given date or time. If they learn your routine they will adapt their criminal actions accordingly.

3. OBSERVATIONS:

A. Regulate the speed of your patrolling so that you can make effective observations. Excessive speed requires more attention to driving and provides less chance for observation. Slower speeds also allow for safer and more defensive driving.

B. Stop to write down information as needed.

	Do not leave it to memory.
	Accuracy of your reporting is enhanced.
	Use a hand held tape recorder if available.

4. REPORTING:

A. Routine information concerning suspicious subjects, places, etc., should be noted on your written reports that are turned into your neighborhood C.O.P. coordinator. These are then passed on to the Police Department.

B. Observations of a more urgent nature should be reported to the Police Department or other appropriate agency via telephone. Your notes on the incidents should also be documented on your written report to follow-up on your telephone report.

C. WHEN IN DOUBT CONCERNING CALLING THE POLICE – CALL THE POLICE. Do not leave your suspicions unreported. Police dispatchers and their supervisors are trained to assist in classifying calls needing immediate attention from those that may wait for another more appropriate reporting method such as your patroller reports. Unreported suspicions may result in property loss, property damage, human injury, and even human death. It is much more desirable for our police officers to answer our calls and find them to be unsubstantiated rather than failing to respond because no one called and later discovering a tragedy.

D. Patrol reports MUST be completed for each patrol and then submitted to your neighborhood C.O.P. coordinator in a timely manner. The coordinator will then forward the reports to the police department. In addition to providing very useful information, these reports are used to track patrollers hours for comparisons and awards. They are a vital part of the Citizens on Patrol program and its continuing success.

AT ALL TIMES WITHOUT EXCEPTIONS, CITIZENS ON PATROL IS A TOTALLY NON-CONFRONTATIONAL PROGRAM. DO NOT INTERACT WITH CRIMINAL SUSPECTS – SIMPLY CALL THE POLICE. WE ARE THE BEST HUMAN RESOURCE AVAILABLE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY; THEREFORE, OUR SAFETY IS OF TOP PRIORITY!