NCJ Number
51923
Date Published
1978
Length
118 pages
Annotation
ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT AS THE FIRST STEP IN AN INTEGRATED CRIMINAL APPREHENSION PROGRAM (ICAP) IS DESCRIBED. THE PROBLEMS A SMALL DEPARTMENT ENCOUNTERS WHEN SHARING COMPUTER TIME ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THIS EVALUATION FOUND THAT THE ADDITION OF A FULL-TIME CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT, CONSISTING OF A DIRECTOR, A PROGRAMMER, AND A KEYPUNCH-CLERICAL PERSON, SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED THE BACKLOG OF UNRECORDED INFORMATION, COLLECTED NEEDED DATA, CREATED FILES, PRODUCED USEFUL DAILY CRIME BULLETINS, ALLOWED FOR SPECIAL ANALYSES, AND IMPROVED POLICE EFFICIENCY. THIS NEW UNIT ALSO BROUGHT THE WARRANT AND ARREST DATA FILES UP TO DATE AND GREATLY REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT SEARCHING THROUGH UNDELIVERABLE WARRANTS. THE IMPROVED EFFICIENCY PLUS ISSUING A DAILY CRIME BULLETIN HAS INCREASED POLICE MORALE. NO LONGER DO OFFICERS FEEL THEIR PAPERWORK IS WASTED EFFORT, AND CLOSER COOPERATION BETWEEN PATROL AND INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL HAS BEEN FACILITATED. THE MAJOR PROBLEM HAS BEEN THE SHARING OF COMPUTER TIME WITH OTHER LAWRENCE, KANS., CITY AGENCIES. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS NO SPECIAL PRIORITY AND SECURITY OF DATA IS A PROBLEM. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT ATTEMPT TO PURCHASE A SMALL COMPUTER OF ITS OWN. THE COMPUTERIZATION OF SEVERAL CUMBERSOME MANUAL FILES WOULD BE POSSIBLE, JUSTIFYING THE COST OF THE HARDWARE. THE EVALUATION DESCRIBES EACH FILE MAINTAINED BY THE CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT, APPENDS SAMPLES OF DATA FORMS AND REPORTS GENERATED AS WELL AS A 3-YEAR COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COMPLAINT DATA AND UNIT PROGRESS REPORTS, AND PROVIDES FLOW CHARTS AND OPERATIONS DESCRIPTIONS ILLUSTRATING THE USE OF COMPUTERIZATION IN A MODERATE-SIZED CITY. MAPS, GRAPHS, AND SUPPORTING DATA ARE INCLUDED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT HAS PERFORMED WELL IN THE FIRST YEAR. FOR VOLUME 1, SEE NCJ-51922, AND FOR VOLUME 3-6, SEE 51924-51927. (GLR)