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Northern Essex Community College

Module 5 Writing Assignment

Review the assignment overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

In this assignment, you will examine one of the most influential research studies in the history of policing: the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment. Conducted during the early 1970s, the study challenged long-standing assumptions about the effectiveness of routine patrol and significantly influenced policing strategies throughout the United States. The findings forced police leaders, researchers, and policymakers to reconsider how patrol resources should be allocated and whether visible police presence alone is sufficient to deter crime.

You will analyze the design and findings of the experiment while evaluating how different patrol strategies may influence crime prevention, public perceptions of safety, and police effectiveness. You will also assess which types of crimes are most and least likely to be affected by preventive patrol efforts.

Student Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the assignment and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Analyze the role of patrol in contemporary policing and crime prevention. (SLO6)
  • LO2: Evaluate research findings and their impact on law enforcement policy and practice. (SLO6)
Assignment Topic

The Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment remains one of the most important studies ever conducted on police patrol operations. The experiment tested whether varying levels of routine preventive patrol affected crime rates, citizen fear of crime, public satisfaction with police services, and police response to criminal activity.

For this assignment, summarize the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment and evaluate its impact on policing.

Your paper should address the following questions:

  • What was the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment?
  • Why was the study conducted, and what questions were researchers attempting to answer?
  • How was the experiment designed?
  • What were the major findings of the study?
  • How did the findings challenge traditional assumptions about police patrol?
  • Describe the three patrol categories used during the experiment:
    • Reactive Patrol
    • Control Patrol
    • Proactive Patrol
  • How might each patrol category have influenced the results of the experiment?
  • Which patrol strategy do you believe is most effective in contemporary policing? Explain your reasoning.
  • What types of crimes are most likely to be deterred by preventive patrol?
  • What types of crimes are least likely to be deterred by preventive patrol? Consider offenses such as domestic violence, cybercrime, fraud, white-collar crime, identity theft, organized crime, and crimes committed in private settings.
  • How have the findings of the Kansas City Experiment influenced modern policing strategies such as directed patrol, hot-spot policing, problem-oriented policing, and community policing?
  • Do you believe the findings remain relevant today? Why or why not?
Acceptable and Ethical Use of AI
  • You may use AI tools to help locate information about the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Experiment or identify scholarly sources; however, all information must be verified using credible academic, governmental, or professional sources.
  • If you use AI during the research process, your final submission must reflect your own analysis and conclusions regarding patrol effectiveness and the implications of the experiment for modern policing.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your assignment.

  • Your paper should be 2-3 pages, using APA style, including 12 font and 1-inch margins.
  • A minimum of at least two (2) sources, with proper APA citations in a Reference Page and proper in-text citations.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Organize your paper using an introduction, body, and conclusion.
  • Clearly explain the differences between reactive, control, and proactive patrol strategies.
  • Provide examples of crimes that patrol officers may be able to deter and crimes that patrol officers are unlikely to prevent through routine patrol alone.
  • Support your conclusions using course materials, research findings, and examples from contemporary policing.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your assignment through the designated submission area.
  • Ensure your file is in Microsoft Word (.docx) or PDF format.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. Follow course policies regarding academic integrity and the use of outside sources or tools.