NCJ Number
200898
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 72 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 1-7
Date Published
June 2003
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the redesign and current functioning of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP), a computer database of violent crimes.
Abstract
ViCAP is a database used by Federal, State, and local police investigators who seek to identify similar characteristics that may link several crimes together. This type of database assists in the closing of unsolved murders and often helps officers identify the common killer in different murders. ViCAP operation was assumed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s training center in July 1985. In 1996, an analysis of the database system suggested redesign of the database was essential to its effective usage. The redesign placed the program in the hands of State and local law enforcement agencies and enabled the creation of an object-oriented, user-friendly software program that would integrate data and provide mapping, reporting, and image-capturing capabilities. The use of modems allows law enforcement agencies across the country to input and utilize the national database system. Standardized reports are also included in the New ViCAP, providing a friendlier user environment. Additionally, recent developments with the New ViCAP have provided the ability to store images and associate those images with particular cases. The images can be scanned photographs, maps, or other graphics. Currently, the ViCAP program is examining ways of implementing a crime analysis tool for sexual assault cases. 19 Endnotes