BENSENVILLE (IL) - POLICE DEPARTMENT - POLICE RECORDS SYSTEMS ANALYSIS - POLICE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE REPORT

• NCJ Number: 37334
• Author(s): C D HALE
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 31 pages
• Contract Number(s): -LEAA-002-76
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Corporate Author: Public Admin Service
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO HELP THE BENSENVILLE (IL) POLICE DEPARTMENT UPGRADE ITS RECORD KEEPING FUNCTION TO FACILITATE EFFICIENT DATA COLLECTION AND RETRIEVAL AND TO PROVIDE A METHOD FOR DISPOSING OF OUTDATED RECORDS.

Abstract

THE DEPARTMENT SERVES A POPULATION OF OVER 13,000 PEOPLE IN A FIVE SQUARE MILE AREA WITH A TOTAL POLICE STRENGTH OF 32. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WAS REQUESTED BY THE NEW CHIEF BASED ON INEFFICIENCIES HE OBSERVED IN THE DEPARTMENT'S RECORD KEEPING ACTIVITY. ONSITE WORK WAS CONDUCTED ON AUGUST 10-12 AND 18, 1976 DURING WHICH TIME THE CONSULTANT REVIEWED THE RECORD KEEPING PROCESS AND INTERVIEWED THE CHIEF OF POLICE, OTHER OFFICERS, AND CIVILIAN MEMBERS OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CLERICAL STAFF. HE FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH THE SYSTEM IS GENERALLY ADEQUATE, IT STILL SUFFERS FROM DUPLICATION OF EFFORT, INEFFICIENT REPORTING PRACTICES, ABSENCE OF SUFFICIENT SECURITY, AND THE LACK OF A SOUND CENTRAL NAME INDEX SYSTEM. RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE ELIMINATION AND CONSOLIDATION OF SOME OF THE FILES PRESENTLY MAINTAINED; ADOPTION OF A 'ONE-WRITE' REPORT SYSTEM AS WELL AS SOME NEW FORMS; CONSOLIDATION OF ALL EXISTING NAME FILES INTO A CENTRAL NAME INDEX; MICROFILMING OLD RECORDS TO CONSERVE STORAGE SPACE; AND DISSEMINATION OF SPECIFIC RECORDS SECURITY DIRECTIVES.