NCJ Number
160960
Date Published
1990
Length
64 pages
Annotation
This report describes and assesses the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department's (MPD) recent acquisitions of state-of-the-art automated software, as well as proposal requests for both computer hardware and software to increase police productivity and reduce the time and labor needed to perform functions previously handled manually, particularly in relation to drug law enforcement.
Abstract
The MPD collects data on a wide range of topics, including offenses, case closures, personnel and other resource allocations, and citywide drug law enforcement activities. Three recent examples illustrate how improvements in automated technology can enhance the MPD's efforts in drug law enforcement. One is the proposal for an automated Computer Assisted Resource Management system for the Morals Division, which uses most of its resources for drug law enforcement. The second is the acquisition of MapInfo, a software package that assists in evaluating patterns of drug law enforcement and deploying police personnel in areas with high levels of drug-related crimes. The third is the proposal for the Washington Area Criminal Intelligence Information System. Addition and reorganization of disk space and additional staff and training in support of MapInfo are among the measures that would improve the usefulness of this information technology. Maps, copy of proposal, and related information