Optimizing Police Patrol Beats: A Practical Framework for Enhanced Efficiency in Determining the Patrol Beat Borders Using the 'Need for Patrol Presence Score' 

Optimizing Police Patrol Beats: A Practical Framework for Enhanced Efficiency in Determining the Patrol Beat Borders Using the 'Need for Patrol Presence Score' | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Optimizing Police Patrol Beats: A Practical Framework for Enhanced Efficiency in Determining the Patrol Beat Borders Using the 'Need for Patrol Presence Score' Nicholas Hasan Buker, Ihsan Eren Buker, Jasmine Oswalt This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892199/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Preventive patrol, integral to modern policing since 1829, faces challenges in optimizing resource allocation. This manuscript proposes a practical strategy for redesigning patrol beats, ensuring balanced workloads and efficient response to calls. Unlike previous models, this approach, named "Need for Patrol Presence Score (NPPS)," integrates evidence-based policing, accounting for call types, priority levels, and risky locations. Using Computer Assisted Dispatch data, the model partitions the jurisdiction into beats, maintaining flexibility for dynamic policing needs. The study explores two beat design algorithms, demonstrating stability through Jaccard indices. Implementation can enhance police response, workload distribution, and community safety, providing a valuable tool for police departments seeking efficient patrol beat structures. Police patrol beat redesign needs-based policing evidence-based policing Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3892199","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":279785365,"identity":"a6d64cd6-4a49-40d8-a232-b7e5d32ad30e","order_by":0,"name":"Nicholas Hasan Buker","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAq0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwkGZiBlw8DAfICBgYcELWkMDGwJpGk5TIIWc+keY4OPe84nbjjGwPjgbRsRWiznnDFOnPHsNkgLs+FcYrQY3MgxPsxz4HbitvsNbNK8RGv5c+Bc4rZjDOy/idaSzHDgAEgLGzNxWu4cKzbsOZBsvP8YY7PknHPEaLndvFnixwE72ZltzAc/vCkjQgsSYGwgTf0oGAWjYBSMAtwAACigOkgIPE1AAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of West Florida","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nicholas","middleName":"Hasan","lastName":"Buker","suffix":""},{"id":279785366,"identity":"a9338e9a-4fa5-4652-9e85-b78034c4ec46","order_by":1,"name":"Ihsan Eren Buker","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Alabama at Birmingham","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ihsan","middleName":"Eren","lastName":"Buker","suffix":""},{"id":279785367,"identity":"8a194dd6-e867-4f66-bf97-df35bb04210b","order_by":2,"name":"Jasmine Oswalt","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of West Florida","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jasmine","middleName":"","lastName":"Oswalt","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-01-23 22:14:08","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892199/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892199/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":63021066,"identity":"dcd812bf-bf3a-4ebe-a64f-78aa186d1d68","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-08-22 07:37:43","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2707304,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscriptv.3Blind.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3892199/v1_covered_de405221-46a9-4f75-b1a0-51a5ff42349d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Optimizing Police Patrol Beats: A Practical Framework for Enhanced Efficiency in Determining the Patrol Beat Borders Using the 'Need for Patrol Presence Score' ","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Police patrol, beat redesign, needs-based policing, evidence-based policing","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892199/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3892199/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003ePreventive patrol, integral to modern policing since 1829, faces challenges in optimizing resource allocation. 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