What could Chicago do with 600 more police officers? – A City that Works

"Patrol units need to do a mix of two things: respond to calls for service, and spend time on ‘proactive policing,’ which can include building community relationships, understanding crime patterns in a neighborhood, and being positioned in high visibility places to deter crime. If officers are stretched thin, they lose the opportunity to do that proactive work, which is a necessary part of building a safer city in the long run."