Study of Police Management Information Systems

• NCJ Number: 96885
• Author(s): T M Zaharchuk; R M Atcheson; C D Shearing; J Palmer
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 58 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Solicitor General
• Corporate Author: Decision Dynamics Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Canada Solicitor General
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

This report summarizes the five volumes of a 1976-1977 Canadian study that formulated general procedures for Canadian municipal police forces to use in developing improved management information system (MIS).

Abstract

Volume 1 develops the concept of MIS's in the context of overall technological change and its impact on policing, considering both the historical perspective and future challenges of MIS technology for policing. Volume 2 describes important MIS experiences in selected U.S. jurisdictions and draws key lessons for Canadian police. MIS experiences of a number of Canadian police forces are reviewed in Volume 3, including results from a survey of large Canadian police forces regarding their interest in MIS. The volume comments on the direction of MIS development in Canadian policing. Volume 4 catalogs procedures for developing police MIS's, beginning with a strategy outline and proceeding to staffing and organization changes and a master plan for MIS development. Volume 5 presents technical design specifications for the proposed Targeted Information Processing System (TIPS). The TIPS concept emphasizes the targeting of each agency MIS to user requirements. The TIPS design is not a single 'packaged' police MIS, but it consists of components with inputs, output reports, and file interactions. Each file is described by its record types and data elements. 169-item selected bibliography and list of study sources.