NCJ Number
64509
Date Published
1979
Length
46 pages
Annotation
THE TECHNOLOGY OF GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILE (GBF) SYSTEMS IS EXAMINED AS A TOOL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT.
Abstract
THE STUDY LIMITED TO REVIEWING THE PRESENT USE OF THE BUREAU OF THE CENSUS DUAL INDEPENDENT MAP ENCODING (DIME) FILE AS A GBF, WITH EMPHASIS ON THE RESULTS OF A TWO-PHASE PROJECT SPONSORED BY LEAA IN 1974-77. DATA FOR THE PROJECT CONSISTED OF BACKGROUND SITE VISITS, GBF-USER SITE VISITS, TELEPHONE CONTACTS WITH OTHER GBF AND DIME USERS, AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE. ST. LOUIS MO., AND TUCSON, ARIZ., WERE THE TWO SITE CITIES. RECOMMENDATIONS POINTED TO THE SUITABILITY OF THE DIME FILE FOR GBF WORK IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. HOWEVER, THE INADEQUACY OF SOME TECHNICAL ASPECTS CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF A MANAGEMENT PLANNING PACKAGE FOR GBF PROJECTS; THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW GBF SOFTWARE TOOLS, INFORMATION RESOURCES, AND USER COMMUNICATIONS; AND THE DETERMINATION OF THE FEASIBILITY AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR AN X-Y COORDINATE DIGITIZING PACKAGE AND A GBF DATA BASE MICROCOMPUTER. ALTHOUGH THE CORRECTION, UPDATE, AND EXTENSION (CUE) PROCESS WAS ALSO DEEMED ADEQUATE AS A BASIS FOR DEVELOPING LAW ENFORCEMENT DERIVATIVE GBF'S, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WOULD NEED TO BE PROVIDED FOR GBF PROJECTS, APPLICATIONS SELECTION PLANNING, AND CUE TROUBLESHOOTING. IN ANY CASE, LEAA SHOULD NOT ENTER A GBF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UNLESS IT REASONABLY EXPECTS TO SUPPORT A PROGRAM CONTINUOUSLY FOR AT LEAST 4 TO 5 YEARS. POSSIBLE LEAA ROLES IN GBF SUPPORT ARE INFORMATION EXCHANGE, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION OF GBF TECHNICAL PRODUCTS. POINTERS FOR LEAA PROGRAM ROLES, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND IMPROVEMENT, AND EXPLANATIONS OF GBF AND DIME ADAPTABILITY ARE FURNISHED. APPENDIXES DESCRIBE REFORMAT SOFTWARE AND LIST PERSONS CONTACTED FOR THE STUDY. A GLOSSARY AND BIBLIOGRAPHY COMPLETE THE TEXT. (MHP)