Chapter 1028 - 961: The Second Scene
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The officers, dressed in brand-new uniforms, walked past the entrance of Jiangcun Residential Area, attracting the glances of passersby, some of whom took out their cell phones to take pictures.
Wu Junhao puffed his chest and lifted his head, his gaze fixed straight ahead. His first squadron had yet to be reformed into a riot-control patrol team, but he had been planning on foot patrols for many years. Now with the opportunity at hand, Wu Junhao couldn’t wait to implement them.
Foot patrols have a significant deterrent effect on common criminal offenses and can greatly improve public security. This is something the Hong Kong Police Department already has considerable experience with. The Japan Police Department also has its share of expertise. Countries like the US and UK, due to different lifestyles, tend to use police car patrols more frequently.
The downsides of foot patrols, firstly, is that they are exhausting, which leads to the exploitation of young officers by having the newly employed handle the patrols. Those who are unwilling are either dismissed or denied promotions, prompting them to leave on their own—thereby keeping sunk costs as low as possible.
Secondly, they involve significant financial expenditure. Foot patrols are purely an expense and can pose certain dangers to officers, meaning relatively higher salaries are necessary. Policing doesn’t produce direct financial value—improved public security doesn’t necessarily reduce the cost of handling criminal cases.
In short, having officers patrol within a city is very useful and meaningful.
If one asks why Ningtai County or other domestic cities didn’t implement this strategy before, it boils down to one reason: a lack of personnel and funds.
In a few more years, as some cities pull themselves out of fiscal mires, foot patrols will surely be put into place, just like in Ningtai County.
In fact, for a police department that truly wishes to advance through their work, studying from the Hong Kong police has always been a shortcut.