Operational policing is at the heart of any law enforcement organisation, where a large proportion of resources are focused on preventing, reducing or detecting crime, prosecuting offenders and ensuring the safety of communities. At the local policing level this incorporates a broad range of activities aimed at tackling crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, including the provision of the initial rapid uniform response to incidents, crimes and disorder, as well as more specific tasks such as finding missing persons.
Operational policing also requires the support of more specialist resources that are generally provided at a city or even country-wide level. These activities include the police use of firearms, planning and policing public and sporting events, road safety and traffic management, and protecting key buildings and individuals, including diplomats and politicians.
This is a critical area of law enforcement that requires a wide range of general and specialist policing skills and expertise and is an essential prerequisite to ensuring safety and security in both the public and private environments.
Yet no single law enforcement organisation would be able to claim that it leads the field in every aspect of operational policing. For many countries, the development of new skills around operational policing is a continuing priority.
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