NCJ Number
16052
Journal
URBAN DATA SERVICE Volume: 6 Issue: 11 Dated: (NOVEMBER 1974) Pages: COMPLETE ISSUE
Date Published
1974
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A COMPILATION OF INFORMATION CONCERNING THE USE AND PLANNED USE OF COMPUTERS BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN 82 URBAN AREAS OF AT LEAST 100,000 POPULATION EACH.
Abstract
THIS REPORT IS BASED ON A 1974 SURVEY WHICH IS A FOLLOWUP OF A 1971 SURVEY ON THE USE OF COMPUTERS IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. OF THE CITIES RESPONDING, 56 PERCENT INDICATED THAT THEY ARE USING A COMPUTER. IN 1971, FOR CITIES OF COMPARABLE SIZE, 44 PERCENT OF THE DEPARTMENTS WERE USING A COMPUTER. HOWEVER, THE 1971 PREDICTIONS FOR COMPUTER USE BY 1974 HAD BEEN MUCH HIGHER. OF ALL POLICE ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (EDP) APPLICATIONS, CRIME STATISTICAL FILES DISPLAY THE HIGHEST AVERAGE USE. THEY ARE FOLLOWED CLOSELY BY POLICE ADMINISTRATION, POLICE PATROL AND INQUIRY, AND TRAFFIC. RESOURCE ALLOCATION IS FIFTH IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, BUT THIS AREA EXPERIENCED A SIGNIFICANT GROWTH BETWEEN 1971 AND 1974. IT IS THE ONLY APPLICATION AREA IN WHICH THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS IMPLEMENTED BETWEEN 1971 AND 1974 EXCEEDED THE NUMBER PREDICTED IN 1971. THE SINGLE GREATEST PROBLEM HINDERING COMPUTER IMPLEMENTATION IN BOTH 1971 AND 1974 IS SCHEDULING AND PRIORITIES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)