Police Resource Deployment (Beat Optimization)

    Having the right amount of officers in the field at the right times are the first steps to improved efficiency. The next step is to place those officers in the right areas with appropriate beat designations so that the agency can maintain a uniform response time for calls-for-service throughout the jurisdiction.

   A good beat plan brings many positive consequences to an agency's patrol effectiveness. It serves as a "zone defense" to the criminal element by keeping shorter patrol intervals throughout the jurisdiction. A good beat plan, that is reinforced consistently, will also shorten travel times to calls and reduce the probability of call saturation due to longer drive times between calls.

   Most importantly, a good beat design is a necessity for agencies that desire to infuse community policing on a neighborhood level. Long-term beat assignments for officers allow officers and citizens to become acquainted with one another and to work collaboratively on neighborhood problems.

   Etico Solutions uses a traditional beat design methodology based on identified workloads in very small geo-coding areas throughout the clients jurisdictions. These geocoding schemes may be several blocks in size or the size of a single block. After determining the desired number of beats based on the schedule of the agency, the smaller geocoding areas are aggregated to form new beats with an equalized workload.