NCJ Number
47416
Editor(s)
J E WATKIN,
F R LIPSETT
Date Published
1977
Length
208 pages
Annotation
PAPERS GIVEN AT THE WORKSHOP DESCRIBING COMPUTER SYSTEMS ALREADY IN USE IN CANADA, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE U.S., AS WELL AS THOSE UNDER DEVELOPMENT, ARE PRESENTED, ALONG WITH EXCERPTS FROM THE GROUP DISCUSSION OF EACH.
Abstract
PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORKSHOP INCLUDED COMPUTER SPECIALISTS, POLICE OFFICIALS, PROFESSORS, AND ENGINEERS. THE FIELD OF MAPPING AND OTHER APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS TO POLICE WORK IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY. THE WORKSHOP SHOWED THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF VARIATION FROM PLACE TO PLACE IN THE USE OF COMPUTERS, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE USED FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES. THE PAPERS ARE GROUPED INTO THREE SECTIONS: OPERATIONAL, INTERACTIVE, AND ANALYTICAL. IN THE OPERATIONAL AREA, SUCH SYSTEMS ARE DESCRIBED AS: THE USE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH AND CARTOGRAPHIC DISPLAYS TO ASSIST IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF RESOURCES; THE CANADIAN COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH AND RECORD ENTRY SYSTEM; A COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM USED IN BOSTON (MASS.); AND THE CANADIAN POLICE INFORMATION CENTER (PIC), A CENTRALIZED DATA BASE SERVING ALL POLICE FORCES IN THE COUNTRY. THE INTERACTIVE SECTION CONTAINS PAPERS CONCERNED WITH LINKING POLICE COMPUTER APPLICATIONS TO OTHER EXISTING SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO AVOID A DUPLICATION OF EFFORT. THEY DEAL WITH: GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND A CRIME ANALYSIS RESEARCH PACKAGE, WHICH INCLUDES SPATIAL REFERENCING OF CRIME DATA AND COULD BE LINKED WITH RECENT CENSUS DATA. INTELLIGENT TERMINALS ARE DEFINED AND DESCRIBED, ALONG WITH THEIR IMPACT ON COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS IN GENERAL AND THE CPIC IN PARTICULAR. THE PAPERS IN THE ANALYTICAL SECTION ARE CONCERNED WITH SUCH TOPICS AS: ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONWIDE SYSTEM OF POLICE GEOFILES IN THE U.S. AND ITS APPLICATION TO CANADIAN POLICE WORK; A COMPUTERIZED MAPPING PROGRAM IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA, WHICH RESULTED FROM JOINT EFFORTS OF POLICE, UTILITY COMPANIES, AND THE STATE; A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF THE GROWTH OF COMPUTER USAGE BY THE CANADIAN POLICE; PRIVACY AND SECURITY OF DATA; AND THE USE OF COMPUTERS FOR LONG-RANGE PLANNING. CHARTS, DIAGRAMS, AND TABLES ARE PRESENTED WHERE APPLICABLE, AND AN ATTENDANCE LIST IS APPENDED. (VDA)