NCJ Number
140811
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1993) Pages: 29,31-32,34,36,38-41
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes various strategies for the computerization of criminal investigations and indicates which vendors provide various types of software relevant to data-gathering and data analysis for criminal investigations.
Abstract
The computerization of criminal investigations can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Some departments may have a computer expert on staff who can write software programs tailored to the precise needs of the department. This article describes such an approach used by the Winston-Salem Police Department (North Carolina). Departments without a computer expert on staff will typically work with a commercial vendor of computer software. Most vendors incorporate their criminal-investigation software with a comprehensive records management system, since criminal investigations generally use information from all areas of the department's records. The advantages of stand-alone software for criminal investigations is less expense, more features, and flexibility in addressing investigators' specific needs. The article explains how a medium-sized police department uses PC-oriented software for its criminal investigations. The remainder of the article describes the criminal-investigation software offered by various vendors. A nationwide or regional centralized computerized data system for criminal investigations by a variety of user departments is also profiled for the future.