NCJ Number
86584
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 51 Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1982) Pages: 8-11
Date Published
1982
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article highlights the benefits of crime analysis for police departments and then discusses how volunteers from the retired community can perform many support functions in a crime analysis program.
Abstract
While crime analysis can bring greater efficiency and more effective resource allocation to police operations, the process itself places manpower requirements on the department. Government agencies and public service organizations, such as the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), have promoted volunteer programs to help communities meet the manpower needs of crime analysis. In the crime analysis process, information is collected from incident reports and other sources, examined for patterns and trends, and then disseminated to officers. The final product facilitates patrol deployment, provides investigative leads, directs crime prevention activities, strengthens management decisions, and promotes interagency cooperation. Experience has disproved myths about the possible negative effects of crime analysis, including the contention that it results in more people telling officers how to do their jobs and places external pressure on the department. While law enforcement professionals must perform the indepth analysis of crime patterns, volunteers can handle many support functions, such as collection and organizing information, rudimentary file searches, and administrative recordkeeping. Retired persons, supervised by a professional analyst, are a valuable asset to the crime analysis operation. They are available, possess a wide range of skills, are motivated, conscientious, and dependable, and often have contacts in the community that facilitate data collection. With LEAA funding, the NRTA-AARP has helped law enforcement agencies involve older persons in crime analysis, freeing analysts to focus on technical functions that enhance police operations. A list of materials on crime analysis published by the NRTA-AARP and 11 footnotes are included.