Rochester Police Chief Michael Ciminelli says his department follows a consistent approach to deciding between two-officer and one-officer patrol cars.
In a news conference, the chief said on several occasions the department has gone to two- officer patrol cars after receiving credible reports of a particular threat against officers, or that might require additional officers. Ciminelli says on those occasions the department goes to two officer cars while the threat is assessed.
The department went to two-man cars Sunday and Monday after the Baton Rouge attacks that killed three officers. They went back to single-man patrol cars on Tuesday once the chief decided there was no credible local threat.
Chief Ciminelli says there’s no long-term data showing that two-officer cars are inherently safer than one-man cars. But he says when there’s an unknown situation or a national threat he will order it.
The Locust Club, the union representing patrol officers, supports two-man patrol cars and isn’t happy with the switch back to single-man cars.
Ciminelli says going to two-man cars on a regular basis would require a considerable reworking of patrol schedules and manpower.