NCJ Number
31757
Date Published
1975
Length
93 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON SEVEN DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS CONDUCTED BY THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY (CA) CENTER FOR URBAN ANALYSIS, A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO DEVELOP MANAGEMENT-ORIENTED PROBLEM SOLVING TECHNIQUES USING GEOGRAPHICALLY RELATED DATA.
Abstract
THE CENTER MAINTAINS A COMPUTERIZED GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILE (AN UPDATED, CORRECTED, AND EXTENDED 'DIME' - DUAL INDEPENDENT MAP ENCODING - FILE); GADS (GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND DISPLAY SYSTEM), AN INTERACTIVE COMPUTER GRAPHIC SYSTEM WHICH USES A TELEVISION-LIKE COMPUTER TERMINAL INSTALLED IN AGENCY OFFICES; AND A GENERAL PURPOSE STATISTICAL AND TABULATION SYSTEM, SPSS (STATISTICAL PACKAGE FOR THE SOCIAL SCIENCES). THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS CONDUCTED BY THE CENTER CONCERNED THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO PREVENT AND CONTROL CRIME ACCORDING TO THE GEOGRAPHY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND WERE SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF NEED AND REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE BY USER AGENCIES. THEY INCLUDED THE ADULT PROBATION DEPARTMENT, FIVE DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND A CRIME ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION PROJECT SERVING ALL POLICE AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY. SEVERAL ONE-TIME JOBS UNRELATED TO A PROJECT WERE ALSO COMPLETED FOR CLIENT AGENCIES. MOST OF THE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS FOCUSED ON THE USE OF CALLS FOR SERVICE (DISPATCH) DATA WITH POLICE AGENCIES. CENTER STAFF PROVIDED AGENCY ASSISTANCE WITH PROBLEM FORMULATION, DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS, AND ASSISTANCE IN THE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS AS REQUIRED. DATA COLLECTION FOR AGENCIES LACKING SYSTEMATIC DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ENTRY PROCEDURES WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM IN THE PROJECTS. AGENCIES WERE GUIDED TO INCREASE THEIR DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS CAPABILITIES AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECTS, AND RECOGNITION WAS MADE THAT DATA COLLECTION COSTS ARE RAPIDLY AMORTIZED IF THE INFORMATION IS TIMELY, ACCESSIBLE AND SUPPORTS THE ALLOCATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCY RESOURCES. A GENERAL CONCLUSION SUPPORTED PLACING FLEXIBLE ANALYSIS TOOLS AS CLOSE TO DECISIONMAKERS AS POSSIBLE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE INTERACTIVE GRAPHICS SYSTEM BE MADE AVAILABLE TO AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY WITH ENHANCED CAPABILITIES FOR DATA ENTRY AND CONTROL AT THE AGENCY TERMINAL. AN EXTENSIVE APPENDIX B INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)