A patch panel is a rack-mounted strip that terminates permanent horizontal cabling and presents each run as a port. Short patch cords connect those ports to switch ports. It protects cable from strain, keeps runs documented and makes moves and changes a matter of replugging.
Permanent cable belongs behind a panel; only patch cords should move. That separation is the whole point of structured cabling.
Termination and testing
Each run is punched down on the rear and tested from the front. Labeling both ends to the same scheme is what makes the panel useful months later, when a camera moves and nobody remembers the run.
Keeping the rack tidy
Short, correct-length patch cords and vertical cable management keep airflow and sightlines clear. A panel that is patched neatly is also far easier to troubleshoot during an outage.