Where Have the Career Patrol Cops Gone?

In 1986, while in the NYC Police Department Police Academy as a Transit Cop trainee, I was taught that patrol officers are considered the backbone of a police department. They are often the first to arrive at a crime scene and play a key role in investigations. Patrol officers are, at a minimum, responsible for:

• Responding to 911 calls
• Issuing citations
• Stopping suspicious people
• Making Arrests
• Premliminary Investigations of crimes
• Developing information that detectives can use to find suspects
• Helping citizens 24/7/365 (with endless problems)

Police officers may choose to leave patrol roles and transition to supervisory, investigative, or support positions for a variety of reasons, often influenced by their career goals, personal preferences, and professional growth. Or simply…to get off patrol they will do anything. “Death before patrol” was often the unspoken mantra, by some.?

While it's essential to recognize the diverse career paths within law enforcement, there can be a perception among some that some of the cops who remain in patrol assignments are less motivated or talented compared to those who pursue supervisory, investigative, or specialized roles. This perception may stem from the misconception that patrol officers primarily handle routine and lower-level incidents.

When I arrived at the NYC Transit Police Departments’ District 30 in August 1986 in downtown Brooklyn, I was introduced to two 20 year veterans that maintained a steady uniform patrol foot post at Jay St. on the “A” and “F” or “IND” or the Independant line for the old schoolers. Jay St. was a transfer station which at the time offered open public bathrooms. Jack C and Johnny L,?one white, one black. One lived in the city, one in the ‘burbs. They had their "station" on lock down….for the nefarious that is! They would handle jam-packed island platforms on the post meridiem rush hours, greeting with a warm hello or a perfect set of directions; they handled disorderly passengers, bathroom deviance and backend staircase robbery attempts.?

The bathrooms… For anyone who knows the NYC subway bathrooms-that is an entire article of its own on an appropriate platform.? Johnny L would arrive on post and broadcast a sheet of chlorine and water across the bathroom floors. Pungent enough to drive malingerers and deviants out but not so bad to deter full bladders. One problem solved! Brisk and random visits throughout the station and appropriate engagement with lurkers topside of subway entrances handled another (think stop, question and possibly frisk-Terry Stops to the rest of U.S. LEOs). The p.m. rush hour crowded plats and cars mostly handled themselves, until the “known” purse jostler or other type of “deviant” (than the bathroom visitor) arrived. The uniform presence and a look in the eye corrected that condition. From 1986 to 1989 I watched Jack and Johnny patrol Jay St on the 4x12s (I left for a specialized unit). And patrol they did. They were the police and everyone knew it! They were community policing before community policing was a term.?

As I reflect back, that is why I?hold immense respect for seasoned veterans who make the deliberate choice to remain in patrol for their entire law enforcement careers. These individuals bring a wealth of wisdom and experience to their roles, which is invaluable in the field. Their deep knowledge of the communities they serve, the intricacies of patrol work, and their ability to navigate a wide range of situations make them pillars of their departments. Their dedication to patrolling neighborhoods day in and day out often results in a profound and lasting impact on community safety. Where have they gone? Will they ever be back?