This Brief reviews the history of foot patrol and the recent,
research-driven resurgence of foot patrol in places such as
Philadelphia. It summarizes and critiques existing literature on the
subject, examining the efficacy of foot patrol.
At the time the Philadelphia Foot Patrol Experiment was published,
popular opinion about foot patrol was that it might improve community
perception of police and reduce fear of crime, but it did not have a
concrete crime prevention benefit. The Philadelphia Experiment
represented a major examination of this concept, involving over 200
officers in 60 locations over a two-year period, in some of the highest
violent crime areas of Philadelphia. The results suggested that a
targeted hot spots-oriented foot patrol strategy did contribute to
violent crime reduction.
Four years later, the lead author of that seminal experiment explores
its findings, together with the findings of the Philadelphia Policing
Tactics Experiment, and examines their differences. This work also
explores officer experiences with foot patrol. This Brief concludes with
policy recommendations about foot patrol, when and how to implement it,
and the benefits it can add to a police department.
This Brief will be of interest to researchers in Criminology and
Criminal Justice, particularly with an interest in Police Studies, and
related fields such as sociology and public policy. It will also be of
interest to practitioners and policy makers interested in evidence-based
policing.