POLICE CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT HANDBOOK

• NCJ Number: 11277
• Author(s): R AUSTIN; G COOPER; D GAGNON; J HODGES; R MARTENSEN; M O'NEAL
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 200 pages
• Grant Number(s): 72-TA-99-1000
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: SEARCH Group Inc.
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Technical Information Service; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PRESCRIPTIVE PACKAGE

Annotation

FUNCTIONS, METHODOLOGIES, CAPABILITIES, AND LIMITATIONS OF A UNIT DESIGNED TO COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND DISSEMINATE DATA ON REPORTED CRIMES AND OFFENDERS.

Abstract

CRIME ANALYSIS IS AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR CONVERTING REGULARLY COLLECTED INFORMATION ON REPORTED CRIMES AND CRIMINAL OFFENDERS INTO EFFECTIVE CRIME PREVENTION AND OFFENDER APPREHENSION ACTIONS. CRIME ANALYSIS CAN SUPPORT POLICE OPERATIONS THROUGH STRATEGY PLANNING, MANPOWER DEPLOYMENT, AND INVESTIGATIVE ASSISTANCE. THIS DOCUMENT, ONE OF THE SERIES OF PRESCRIPTIVE PACKAGES SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE, PROVIDES BOTH BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES FOR POLICE ADMINISTRATORS INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING CRIME ANALYSIS UNITS. THE AREAS DISCUSSED ARE A DEFINITION OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, CRIME DATA INPUT, ANALYSIS OF CRIME DATA, CRIME INFORMATION DISSEMINATED AS OUTPUT, AND FEEDBACK AND EVALUATION. IN ADDITION, THE FUNDAMENTAL PREREQUISITES FOR THE OPERATION OF A CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT ARE CONSIDERED. THESE INCLUDE FORMAL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, ORGANIZATIONAL PLACEMENT, STAFFING, AND A METHOD OF GUARANTEEING THE INTEGRITY OF INPUT CRIME AND OFFENDER INFORMATION. THE CONCLUDING CHAPTER PRESENTS THREE MODEL CRIME ANALYSIS SYSTEMS - MANUAL, SEMIAUTOMATED, AND FULLY AUTOMATED - FOR SMALL, MEDIUM, AND LARGE AGENCIES, RESPECTIVELY. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS THE GRANT PROPOSALS FOR THESE THREE SYSTEMS, A GLOSSARY OF CRIME-RELATED TERMS, CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT STAFF JOB DESCRIPTIONS, AND A DISCUSSION OF THE ROLE OF REGIONAL AND STATEWIDE CRIME ANALYSIS SYSTEMS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)