NCJ Number
221423
Date Published
2003
Length
36 pages
Annotation
The study presents a descriptive analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, benefits, and impact of Live Scan and the Commonwealth Photo Imaging Network (CPIN), two offender processing technology programs.
Abstract
The finding indicates that the technology is being accessed at the both local and State level, but not to its fullest potential. In terms of public safety, there is no evidence to suggest that arrest rates have changed as a result of having the technology in place. Benefits related to public safety include: faster turnaround time in receiving the RAP sheet from the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) Central Repository; faster turnaround time from apprehension to the time of preliminary arraignment; faster identification of suspects; and reduction in duplication of records, in particular, when booking arrestees with multiple offenses. Time savings exist when police are able to drop off a suspect for processing and return to patrol. However, for police employed in communities where they must travel to a booking site, there is a trade-off between the time saved using the electronic process and the travel time consumed. Given that one of the aims of this technology is improved public safety, which is achieved by quickly identifying and processing arrestees, it is important to have a more complete statewide database. Secondary police tend to access the equipment more through local police departments than the PSP. Data sources used in this study evaluation were: e-mail surveys completed by primary users and operators, managers of departments with equipment, managers of departments that use the equipment at other sites such as secondary users, district attorneys, district justices/magistrates/bail commissioners; site visits to 10 randomly selected counties distributed by region of the State; technical infrastructure assessment; interviews of State agencies that use the output from the system; and secondary data sources, including fingerprint quality reports generated by the PSP and the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reports. Maps