NCJ Number
119213
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Computerized information systems to improve police responsiveness to the community are described.
Abstract
Two traditional beliefs, that random police patrols deter crime and that rapid police response is essential, are no longer what citizens necessarily want. What the community prefers in many cases involves appropriate results. In the current climate of fiscal austerity, city mayors and police chiefs also want cost-effective, productive ways to reduce crime and fear. Computerized data bases are available at Federal, State, and local levels to speed up the flow of police information processing and reporting. One innovation is the National Institute of Justice's Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) System, already operating in 22 cities. Using the DUF System, urine tests and interviews are conducted every 3 months with a sample of persons arrested in each city. Data from the DUF System offer a barometer to crime patterns and a warning of drug-related hospital emergency admissions. Another information system being established is called Drug Market Analysis. It will computerize law enforcement information about drug trafficking by city. Through instant mapping and computer printouts, police officers will be able to find drug hot spots more easily, initiate appropriate strategies, and quickly evaluate the results. The importance of good police-community relations is stressed.