Growth of Compstat in American Policing

• NCJ Number: 207051
• Author(s): David Weisburd; Stephen D. Mastrofski; Rosann Greenspan; James J. Willis
• Date Published: April 2004
• Length: 18 pages
• Grant Number(s): 97-IJ-CX-007
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This article examines the rise of Compstat in American policing.

Abstract

Compstat has been recognized as a major innovation in American policing. Police Departments around the country have adopted Compstat or one of its variations. Compstat refers to a strategic control system developed to gather and disseminate information on the police department's crime problems and to track efforts to deal with them. Compstat address the problem of inadequate information and seems most utilized in a data-saturated enviroment. Compstat reports serve as the database for commanders to demonstrate their understanding of the crime problems in their areas and discuss future strategies with other law enforcement officials. Departments that adopt a Compstat model have a strong desire to reduce serious crime and increase management control over field operations. The goals of policing are more prominent in the departments that adopt Compstat models than in those that chose not to utilize a Compstat model. Tables, figure, references