20 L
AW
E
NFORCEMENT
E
XAMS
Another specialized assignment that may be available to Police Officers is the Property Unit. Property
Officers are responsible for property confiscated as evidence, removed from suspects, lost or stolen, or
purchased by police department officials. Work also involves keeping detailed records of all properties
under their control and, when authorized, releasing property to arresting officers for use as evidence in
legal proceedings. They return personal property to suspects being released from custody and contact
owners of lost or stolen property to claim articles upon proof of ownership. Property Officers keep
extensive records of articles confiscated during arrests (such as narcotics and firearms) and arrange for
their transfer to official disposal sites when required by law. Responsibility may also include receiving
and examining property purchased by the department to verify the completeness and satisfactory
condition of these purchases against invoices or other records.
Aviation programs in which Police Officers are trained as Police Pilots provide another area of police
specialization. Because aircraft are not restricted by roads or traffic congestion, larger areas can be
patrolled, and aircraft can be used for aerial surveillance missions, high-speed transportation, and police
rescue missions. Police Pilots may fly helicopters, conventional fixed-wing aircraft, or Short Takeoff and
Landing (STOL) aircraft in carrying out their assignments. Helicopters are very effective in urban patrol
as part of helicopter-automobile patrol teams. They can shorten response time to crime scenes, hover, or
patrol at slow speeds to observe ground activities or to illuminate an area at night. Conventional fixed-
wing aircraft are very effective in highway speed enforcement as part of air-ground teams and in search
and surveillance operations. Unlike the helicopter, however, they cannot hover or cruise at reduced speeds
needed in urban areas. STOL aircraft combine some of the characteristics of the helicopter with those of
conventional, fixed-wing aircraft. These aircraft can take off and land in distances shorter than those
required for other fixed-wing aircraft. Faster than most helicopters, they can cruise at slower speeds than
other fixed-wing craft and can stay airborne without refueling twice as long as rotary-wing aircraft.
Regardless of the type of aircraft they fly, Police Pilots play a crucial role in law enforcement activities.
In some departments, cases of rape and sexual assault are the responsibility of Police Officers assigned
to Sex Crimes Units. These crimes create special problems for both victims and the criminal justice
system. Fear of harassment or humiliation during police investigations and medical examinations makes
victims reluctant to report such crimes and to go through the ordeal of a trial. Sex Crimes Units are staffed
with both male and female officers who are specially trained, are sensitive to the plight of victims, and
can provide needed support during medical examinations, interviews with police and public prosecutors,
and subsequent investigations. In some departments, rape victims, if they so desire, can deal exclusively
with other women who act both as interviewers and as criminal investigators. These officers can also
provide referrals to community agencies that give special help to victims of sex crimes.
Anti-Crime or Street-Crime Units
are a successful innovation being used by many departments
throughout the country. Police Officers assigned to these units work in high-crime areas, out of uniform,
and pose as unsuspecting citizens from various walks of life. Their objective is to present themselves as
targets for assaults and robberies and to apprehend suspects who attempt to commit such crimes. These
decoys team with backup units in the area so that a response is made when suspects attempt to carry out
crimes against the decoy officers. Members of these units also conduct surveillance activities
on stakeouts.
Many police agencies have developed Tactical Forces--highly mobile units that can be deployed
rapidly against special crime problems. Normally made up of Police Officers from within the police
agency and varying in size from a few officers on small forces to several hundred on larger forces, these
units are motorized and assigned to areas where patterns of serious crimes are occurring. The work can
be varied, and officers may find themselves working in plainclothes on a robbery detail and then being
abruptly assigned to work in uniform on a different type of assignment. When no specific crime problems
occur in a particular area, these officers are deployed over a wider area and then, if needed, can be called
back quickly to work as a unit on a particular case. In some police agencies, these officers are members
