IACP (INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE) GBF (GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILE) FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT PROJECT - A SHORT SSUMMARY OF THE ST LOUIS (MO) TEST SITE (FROM GBF (GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILES) USERS GROUP REPORTS - NCJ-67242)

• NCJ Number: 67263
• Author(s): B WEISMANTLE
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 4 pages
• Corporate Author: International Assoc of Chiefs of Police
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NCJ 67263 AVAILABLE ON MICROFICHE FROM NCJRS UNDER NCJ 67242.

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILE (GBF) FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS OF ST. LOUIS, MO., IS DESCRIBED WITH ATTENTION TO CONSIDERATIONS FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS WISHING TO USE THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU DIME FILE.

Abstract

THE ST. LOUIS LAW ENFORMCEMENT COMPUTER SYSTEM HAS EVOLVED INTO THE REGIONAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SERVICE (REJIS). THE SERVICE IS OFFERED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, COURTS, AND CORRECTIONS FOR FOUR COUNTIES AND THE CITY OF ST. LOUIS. THIS SYSTEM HAS SHOWN THE NEED FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON A GEOGRAPHIC BASIS FOR SUCH AREAS AS FIELD INTERVIEW REPORTS, ARRESTS, CRIME, AND CALLS-FOR-SERVICE BECAUSE EACH MAJOR POLICE AGENCY HAS DEVELOPED ITS OWN METHODS OF AGGREGATING DATA. ST. LOUIS WAS CHOSEN ALONG WITH TUCSON, ARIZ., TY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE AS A TEST SITE FOR DEVELOPING A GBF USING THE DIME FILE. ST. LOUIS FOUND THAT THE TEST PROGRAM ALLOWS USER FLEXIBILITY IN CREATING A GBF USING THE DIME FILE. ST. LOUIS FOUND THAT THE TEST PROGRAM ALLOWS USER FLEXIBILITY IN CREATING A GBF TO MEET THE USER'S NEEDS, ALTHOUGH THE USER WILL STILL HAVE TO DESIGN AND PROGRAM FILE LOADING AND ACCESS PROGRAMS FOR SPECIALIZED FILE DESIGN. HOWEVER, IT ALSO FOUND THAT IT NEEDED TO CHECK WITH THE CUE AGENCY ON THE COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY OF THE CURRENT DIME FILE AND IT NEEDED TO CHECK THE COMPLETENESS OF THE BASE MAPS, TO IDENTIFY THE CENSUS TRACT BOUNDARIES AND NODE NUMBERS, AND THE COMPLETENESS OF THE X,Y COORDINATES IN THE DIME FILE. CONSIDERATION WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE SIZE OF THE GEOCODE AREAS, TO RECORD LENGTH LIMITATIONS WHEN BUILDING AN INTERSECTION FILE, AND TO THE TIME FRAME FOR UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS TO THE FILE. THE USER MIGHT WISH TO ATTEND CENSUS COMMITTEE MEETINGS INVOLVING CENSUS TRACT BOUNDARY CHANGES. THE PROPOSED GBF THAT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED BY ST. LOUIS WILL BE A STREET SEGMENT FILE, WITH A STREET NAME INDEX FILE, A MAIN STREET SEGMENT FILE, AN INTERSECTION FILE, AND A SUBSYSTEM FILE WITH COMMON PLACE NAMES, COMMON MISSPELLING, STREET NAME ABBREVIATIONS AND SYNONYMS, AND PUBLIC PHONE NUMBER LOCATIONS. A FLOW CHART ILLUSTRATES THE REGIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BASE FILE SYSTEM. (MHP)