Which statement best captures the difference between preventative patrol and selective patrol?

Which statement best captures the difference between preventative patrol and selective patrol?

• A. Preventative patrol relies on high police presence to deter crime and reduce citizen anxiety, while selective patrol addresses specific violations or circumstances and is basically reactive.
• B. They are the same approach.
• C. Preventative patrol focuses only on traffic enforcement.
• D. Selective patrol ignores repeated offenses.

Answer: (A)

The difference being tested is between using broad, deterrent presence versus focused, problem-driven deployment. Preventative patrol relies on a high police presence across an area to deter crime and reassure the public; the idea is that people are less likely to offend and residents feel safer when they see officers on patrol. Selective patrol, on the other hand, concentrates resources on specific violations or circumstances—hotspots, patterns, or repeat offenders—so the response is targeted to particular problems rather than a general, visible presence. This makes the selective approach more about addressing known issues with focused effort, rather than just trying to deter crime with broad visibility. That’s why the statement that best captures the difference is the one describing preventative patrol as a deterrent through high presence and reassurance, while selective patrol targets particular problems or circumstances and is more focused in its deployment. The other options don’t fit because they mischaracterize the approaches: they aren’t the same method; preventive patrol isn’t limited to traffic enforcement; and selective patrol is not about ignoring repeated offenses.

The difference being tested is between using broad, deterrent presence versus focused, problem-driven deployment. Preventative patrol relies on a high police presence across an area to deter crime and reassure the public; the idea is that people are less likely to offend and residents feel safer when they see officers on patrol. Selective patrol, on the other hand, concentrates resources on specific violations or circumstances—hotspots, patterns, or repeat offenders—so the response is targeted to particular problems rather than a general, visible presence. This makes the selective approach more about addressing known issues with focused effort, rather than just trying to deter crime with broad visibility.

That’s why the statement that best captures the difference is the one describing preventative patrol as a deterrent through high presence and reassurance, while selective patrol targets particular problems or circumstances and is more focused in its deployment.

The other options don’t fit because they mischaracterize the approaches: they aren’t the same method; preventive patrol isn’t limited to traffic enforcement; and selective patrol is not about ignoring repeated offenses.