Security work encompasses many different and various functions; however, there is now function that is common to all security agencies-the job of patrol. In order to understand the technical aspects of patrol, it is important to see how this function came about, how it developed, and how it changes over time. The very word “patrol” is though to be derived from the French work patrouiller, which originally meant “to tramp in the mud.” To many, this translation may well reflect what may be described as a function that is “arduous, tiring, difficult, and performed in conditions other that ideal.”

Patrol has roots that go back to the days of the caveman. Since then, patrol has evolved from patrolmen as bodyguard to messengers appointed to carry out the commands of the law-the first form of patrol duty. About 1400 BC., Amenthotep, king of Egypt, developed a marine patrol on the coast of Egypt, the first recorded history of a patrol unit. In 27 B.C., under Agustus, emperor of Rome, the Praetorian guards were formed to protect the life and property of the emperor, and urban cohorts were established to keep the peace of the city. Around A.D. 700 tithings (groups of ten families) were formed for the purpose of maintaining the peace and protecting the community. William, the duke of Normandy, introduced a highly repressive police system in A.D. 1066 and divided England into 55 separate military districts and appointed an officer of his choice to be the shire-reeve in each shire, or military district.

In 1252 in England, the watch system was established. People appointed to the duty of watchman had the responsibility for keeping the peace. They were unpaid and the dregs of society-the old, infirm, sick, and criminally inclined. After 1285, some watches grouped together for the purpose of safety, forming a “marching watch,” which may be considered the first form of patrol organization found our present-day system. The only paid watchmen were those paid by merchants, parishioners, and householders. In 1737, the Elizabethan Act of 1585 was enlarged to allow cities to levy taxes to pay for the night watch. In 1748, Henry Fielding suggested that policing was a municipal function and that some form of mobile patrol was needed to protect the highways. The Bow Street Runners were formed, with foot patrol to operate in the inner areas of London, and a horse patrol in the outer areas.

In 1829, the Home Secretary, Sir Robert Peel, introduced “An Act for Improving the Police In and Near the Metropolis”-the Metropolitan Police Act. This legislation forms the basis for law enforcement organizational structure in America. Setting the stage for organized patrol activity, one of the 12 fundamental principles of the Act stated that “the deployment of police strength by time and area is essential.” By the end of 1830, the metropolitan area of London was organized into 17 divisions and superintendents were appointed. Patrol sections were created, and each section was broken down into beat areas. Basically, peel replaced the patchwork for private law enforcement system then in existence, with an organization and regular police structure that would serve the state and not the local interests. He believed that deterrence of criminal activity should be accomplished by preventive patrol officers trained to prevent crime by their presence in the community. Hence, modern patrol was born.

Patrol activity in America can be traced to Boston in 1636, when a night watch was formed. In 1658, New York City formed a “rattle watch,” so named because they used a rattle to communicate their presence and signal each other. Philadelphia formed a night watch in 1700. Just as in England, these early watchmen were lazy and inept. Often times, people who committed minor crimes were sentenced to serve on the watch as punishment. As can well be imagined, order discipline was a major problem, leading New Haven to create a regulation that said “no watchman will have the liberty to sleep.” A 1750 Boston rule said that “watchman will walk their rounds slowly and now and then stand and listen.” Following this rule- as well as making sure to look up, down, and all around- are good procedures for contemporary protection officers to follow.

Uniformed and paid police did not come about until the early to mid-1800s. In 1833, Philadelphia began paying police officers and New York City Police started wearing uniforms around 1855. As America grew, policing took on new shapes and challenges, with the addition of technological advances, new organizational and political structures, new laws requiring more police officers, societal reliance on law enforcement, and the slow growth of private police and security agencies. However, the patrol function of police and security remains the same, and is considered “the back-bone” of security and police agencies.

Security patrols may be routine and boring to some; however, the patrol activity of today is much more than “tramping in the mud,” sounding the hue and cry, or shaking a rattle. The officer of today who protects a facility is responsible for the safety and security of physical-and often intellectual- assets of tremendously high value. He/she is responsible for the safety and security of a work force consisting of people who are educated, well-trained, and professional- a huge investment of human worth and productivity. Today’s security officer had the availability of training, equipment, and technology here fore unheard of.

We now live in an age of more random violent criminal activity, much which is directed toward innocent victims; of drug related crime; of juvenile crime involving senseless violence; of overloaded legal systems; and more of civil litigation. At the same time, there is more being demanded property and organizational managers in terms of protection from fire, disaster, and accident. Administrative agencies at the federal, state, and local level continue to enact new regulations that employers must follow. Security officers have more responsibility now than they have ever had before. In fact, the patrol function is more than just backbone of security; it is also the heart and soul of a total loss control approach.