police beats
Assigned patrol territories
A police beat is a designated area that an officer patrols regularly—a neighborhood, block, or district assigned to specific personnel.
The term comes from the rhythmic walking of a patrol route.
Beat cops know their territory intimately: the residents, the trouble spots, the daily rhythms.
Officer Martinez has walked this beat for fifteen years.
In journalism, the police beat is the crime reporting assignment.
- officerAuthority figure in uniform
- crime sceneLocation of an offense
- copLaw enforcement slang
- patrolRegular surveillance route
- constableLow-ranking peace officer
intervention · uniform · enforcement · crime prevention · community relations · neighborhood watch · squad car · trust-building · sector · district · precinct · sergeant · civil protection · jurisdiction · duties · radio · outreach · night shift
police beatscriminal investigations
Official probes into lawbreaking
detective work · homicide investigations · undercover operations · investigative units · cold cases
police, beats, beat, beating, beaten, beater, policing, policed, polices