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.

Etymology

From

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

''patrouiller'', from Old French ''patouiller'' “to paddle, paw about, patrol”, from ''patte'' “a paw”.

Military

military tactics Military tactics encompasses the art of organizing and employing fighting forces on or near the battlefield. They involve the application of four battlefield functions which are closely related – kinetic or firepower, Mobility (military), mobil ...

, a ''patrol'' is a

sub-subunit Sub-subunit or sub-sub-unit is a subordinated element below platoon level of company-sized units or sub-units which normally might not be separately identified in authorization documents by name, number, or letter. Fireteams, squads, crews, sec ...

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 Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

or armoured unit, subordinate to a troop or platoon, usually comprising a section or

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army do ...

of mounted troopers, or two

armoured fighting vehicles An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars ...

(often tanks).

Law enforcement

In non-military law enforcement, ''patrol officers'' are police officers (or, for private entities,

security guards A security guard (also known as a security inspector, security officer, or protective agent) is a person employed by a government or private party to protect the employing party's assets (property, people, equipment, money, etc.) from a variety ...

) 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 Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce and deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice. Studies Criminologists, commissions, and research b ...

measures. A patrol officer is often the

first responder A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or terr ...

on the scene of any incident, and their actions can greatly affect the outcome of the investigation, if not 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. Patrol officers may conduct patrols on foot, while mounted, riding a police motorcycle, driving a

police car A police car (also called a police cruiser, police interceptor, patrol car, area car, cop car, prowl car, squad car, radio car, or radio motor patrol) is a ground vehicle used by police and law enforcement for transportation during patrols a ...

, crewing a police watercraft, or piloting a

police aircraft Police aviation is the use of aircraft in police operations. Police services commonly use aircraft for traffic control, ground support, search and rescue, high-speed car pursuits, observation, air patrol and control of large-scale public event ...

, depending on the unit they are assigned to or their

agency Agency may refer to: Organizations * Institution, governmental or others ** Advertising agency or marketing agency, a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients ** Employment agency, a business that ...

's capabilities. They may or may not be armed or uniformed. A study conducted by Temple University and the Philadelphia Police Department in the mid-2000s has shown that foot patrols reduce crime more than other methods.

Non-law enforcement patrols

Schools

Some elementary schools utilize the term ''patrol'' to refer to students who are selected to monitor safety in the

classroom A classroom or schoolroom is a learning space in which both children and adults learn. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, ranging from preschools to universities, and may also be found in other places where education ...

or to those students who assist crossing guards with safety of children crossing busy nearby

street A street is a public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, ...

s. Another common term for this use of patrol is '' hall monitor''.

Scouting

Scouting Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...

, a ''patrol'' is six to eight

Scout Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

s (youth members) under the leadership of one of their number who is appointed Patrol Leader and supported by a Second or Assistant Patrol Leader. This is the basic unit of a Scout troop. The '' Patrol method'' is an essential characteristic of Scouting by which it differs from all other organizations, using the natural dynamics of the ''gang'' for an educational purpose.Thurman, John (1950
''The Patrol Leader's Handbook''
The Boy Scouts Association, London (pp. 4-10)

References

External links

{{Commons category, Patrolling Reconnaissance Military units and formations by size Law enforcement