For residents who are graduates of
the basic COP training program, SAPD now offers an additional
opportunity to serve as "eyes and ears" of the police. COP
graduates can now volunteer to participate in the new
"MAP DIRECTED PATROLS" program, coordinated through each
of the six SAPD substations.
Within each substation area, some blocks, or streets or
entire neighborhoods show a higher concentration of crime
than others. This is especially true of Property Crimes, such
as vehicle burglaries and burglaries of businesses and
homes. Through the use of high-tech mapping software, the
San Antonio Police Department is now able to produce maps
for police officers and for citizens which show where these
higher crime concentrations are occurring.
COP graduates who participate in the MAP PATROL PROGRAM will have
the opportunity to join together with COP graduates
from various neighborhoods within a substation
area to do "Directed Team Patrols"
of these areas of concentrated property crimes. The COP
Coordinator at each substation will provide updated maps of the
target areas needing close attention, as well as information on
how these particular crimes are committed so the MAP Patrol
members will know what to look for. MAP "Directed Team Patrols"
will prepare their patrol schedules with the COP Coordinator,
and will be able to track the effect of their patrols through "before"
and "after" computer-generated crime maps.