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better locking devices. Speaking before civic groups to inform citizens of crime-prevention and safety
methods and presenting slides and movies that demonstrate various crime-prevention programs may be
other job duties. In some departments, Crime Prevention Officers analyze information contained in police
reports for indications of crime patterns or trends. They then alert police units to potential problem areas
and methods of operation used by perpetrators. This often effects a reduction in criminal activities.
Emergency Service Officers are highly trained police personnel who are brought into situations that
other Police Officers are not equipped to handle. Examples of problems dealt with range from people
threatening to jump from bridges or high buildings to persons trapped in automobile wreckage or
threatened by a dangerous animal. Such cases require a special expertise, and these officers have the
equipment and training needed to do the job.
In some police agencies, Police Officers are assigned to Fugitive Search Units in which they are
responsible for conducting investigations to locate and return fugitives for prosecution by criminal justice
agencies. Data received from national, regional, and state crime information centers are examined, and
employers and other law enforcement agencies are contacted to develop leads. Once a fugitive is located,
these officers obtain the legal documents necessary for custody and may be required to travel to other
criminal justice agencies throughout the country to return prisoners wanted for unlawful flight.
Harbor Patrol is a specialized unit in which Police Officers are responsible for patrolling municipal
harbors to detect and apprehend criminals and to aid persons in distress. Patrol is usually in power
launches and may involve rescuing drowning victims, recovering bodies, or assisting ships in distress.
These officers also cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in an effort to apprehend criminals and
to prevent smuggling or entry of illegal aliens.
Hostage Negotiation Teams are another area in which some Police Officers may specialize. Members
of these units are specially trained officers who have the difficult task of rescuing hostages from their
captors without bloodshed or violence. This is hardly easy because people holding hostages are often
nervous and desperate. Such situations require cool, calm, and logical actions on the part of each officer.
Police Officers in certain police departments are members of Intelligence Units. These units gather
and compile information about community conditions, potential problems, organized crime, and
lawlessness in the form of civil disorder. To obtain this data, officers often work undercover to infiltrate
organized crime and terrorist groups or seemingly legitimate businesses used as fronts for criminal
activities. They coordinate their activities with other law enforcement agencies and furnish current
information about the location and activities of members of organized crime and subversive groups to
local, state, and federal agents.
Police Officers assigned to Juvenile Units have the responsibility of conducting juvenile investiga-
tions, providing assistance to field officers in matters involving juvenile problems, and coordinating
efforts with other agencies such as courts, schools, and social service and counseling agencies. Juvenile
Officers investigate not only juvenile offenses but also cases of lost or runaway children to discover their
whereabouts and to locate their parents. They take into custody delinquent or neglected children and refer
cases involving serious offenses to the juvenile court system. They also patrol neighborhoods where
youths gather, investigate reports of large gatherings that might indicate trouble, and enlist the help of the
community in preventing potential juvenile problems.
Mounted Police Officers are specially trained officers who patrol their assigned areas on horseback
or motorcycle. Officers on horseback perform the basic duties of the Patrol Officer, but their skills are
particularly effective in crowd-control activities. Through skillful handling of their mounts, these officers
preserve order where large crowds congregate (such as at parades and sporting events) and, in cases of
riot or civil unrest, disperse unruly crowds. Officers patrolling on motorcycles perform important traffic-
control duties in congested areas by helping to facilitate the flow of traffic. In many cases, patrol cars are
unable to reach the scene of disturbances or accidents, and motorcycle officers, first on the scene, provide
assistance to sick or injured persons, direct traffic around fires or explosions, and perform general police
work by keeping order and apprehending criminals.
