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Detention activities in a police agency involve temporary confinement of persons awaiting investiga-
tion or trial, as well as permanent imprisonment in city or county facilities for those sentenced by the court.
Typical activities include booking, searching, fingerprinting, photographing, and feeding prisoners.
Transportation
Police mobility is crucial to crime prevention. Police officers must have the capability of moving safely
and swiftly to meet their responsibilities. Police transportation activities center around the acquisition,
use, maintenance, cost, and safety of a variety of vehicles. These include automobiles (patrol and
unmarked), motorcycles, trucks, buses, motor scooters, aircraft (helicopters and planes), watercraft, and
horses. By developing and maintaining an efficient transportation program, the police agency increases
its effectiveness and its ability to enforce the law.
Communications
Communications in a police agency are the lifeline of the organization. Most police department
communications systems have three parts: the telephone system, command and control operations, and
radio communications. Though communications systems differ among departments throughout the
country because of variations in staffing and funding, they generally operate as follows:
Telephone communications systems aim to reduce crime through rapid and accurate communication
with the public. The telephone is the primary link between the police and the community, and in an
emergency, the public must be able to contact the police immediately. This is vitally important because
rapid police response to an emergency call can mean the difference between life and death or between
the capture and escape of suspects.
Command and control means coordinating operations of radio-equipped field units through exchange
of information between field units and communications centers. In its simplest form, it is the receipt,
processing, and dispatching of information received in telephone complaints to field units for action. This
process becomes more complex as calls increase. In large departments, the use of automated command
and control equipment is widespread. Regardless of department size, rapid and accurate command and
control operations are needed to ensure the safety of the community.
Radio communications, an integral part of police operations, involve the use of radio frequencies by
command control and police officers both to receive and transmit information. The efficiency of radio
communications, however, is often impaired because frequency ranges are limited. In recent years,
frequency congestion has been the result of increased use of communication devices by the public and
business. Efforts to solve this problem are receiving constant attention by law enforcement agencies at
all levels. Where possible, in addition to radio-equipped vehicles, police departments provide police
officers with specialized equipment such as miniature transceivers, mobile and portable radio units, and
walkie-talkies. The object is to provide continuous communication among commanders, supervisors, and
field personnel.
Police Information Systems
Another staff service, the information system, can also significantly affect efforts to reduce crime. Such
a system consists of three components: reporting, collection and recording of crime data, and information
storage and retrieval.
Reporting means thorough and precise reporting of all crimes that come to the department's attention.
Included are telephone and field investigation reports and warrant information received from judicial
agencies. Such information can assist in criminal investigations and is useful in other parts of the criminal
justice system.
