Word: patroling
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...scene is de rigueur in any self-respecting cinematic crime thriller: an officer grabs the patrol-car mike and announces, "Officers in hot pursuit." Sirens blare, lights flash, hearts and motors race. Sometimes the chase is exhilarating, as in Bullitt. Sometimes it is comic, as in Smokey and the Bandit. It invariably involves smashups and high tension, but rarely does anyone get hurt. Alas, nothing could be further from reality. "The pursuit is a cop's most deadly weapon other than a gun," declares criminal-justice professor Geoffrey Alpert of the University of South Carolina. Some believe it is deadlier...
...such vehicular mayhem justified? Many police and some legal experts argue that high-speed chases help maintain respect for the law. Says Sergeant Jim Mattos, spokesman for the California Highway Patrol: "As soon as you develop a policy of no chases, then the only people who are going to stop are the honest ones." Moreover, supporters insist, many chases end in the capture and arrest of serious criminals. Asks Donald Schroeder, adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan: "If it were the Son of Sam in the car that you were chasing, would...
...underage. Or they have an expired license. Or they have an outstanding warrant for nonsupport." Most of the runaway drivers are in their teens or 20s, while those doing the chasing tend to be young, inexperienced officers. For the cops, pursuits can spark up long hours of dull patrol duty. In addition, "there is a John Wayne syndrome," notes Hubert Williams, president of the Police Foundation in Washington; police work attracts some aggressive "risk takers" who are apt to get caught up in macho antics...
...police patrol the rink on Friday nights in November until 2 a.m., when the rink lights are turned out and the students remain in the stands until tickets go on sale the next morning...
Initially some residents complained about the crackdown, but they have quickly become accustomed to the feeling of safety it provided. The newly married residents may bolster a tenant patrol that will soon take the place of the police. Says Lane: "Hopefully these guys who are hiding and ducking and dodging may be able to step forward and be responsible...