COMPUTERS AGAINST CRIME - A TYPE CRIMINAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

• NCJ Number: 55680
• Journal: Detective Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (WINTER 1979) Pages: 25-28
• Author(s): R P BOETTICHER
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: US Dept of the Army
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A CRIMINAL INFORMATION COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT STORES PERSONAL DATA, CASE DATA, PROPERTY DATA, AND MODUS OPERANDI INFORMATION IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM DESCRIBED IS A TYPE CRIMINAL INFORMATION SYSTEM BEING TESTED AT THE U.S. ARMY'S FT. HOOD (TEX.,). IT WAS DESIGNED AS A RESULT OF INCREASED VOLUMES OF INFORMATION BEING PROCESSED UNDER THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM BEING TESTED, WHICH STORES PERSONAL DATA, CASE DATA, PROPERTY DATA, AND MODUS OPERANDI INFORMATION, WAS DESIGNED TO FULFILL THE FOLLOWING ATTRIBUTES: (1) RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION FROM STORAGE IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR THE USER, (2) ACCURACY IN RETRIEVAL, (3) MINIMUM VOLUME, (4) NO GREAT INCREASE IN MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS, (5) FLEXIBLE RETRIEVAL CAPABILITIES, (6) MINIMUM COSTS, (7) CAPABILITIES FOR DATA SECURITY, AND (8) CAPABILITY FOR EXPANSION WITHOUT A LARGE INCREASE IN ANY OF THE PRECEDING ATTRIBUTES. ONCE INFORMATION IS PLACED ON COMPUTER KEY PUNCH CARDS IN CODE OR FREE STYLE FORMATS, THE KEY PUNCH CARDS ARE FED INTO THE COMPUTER FOR COLLATION AND THEN PRINTOUTS ARE PRODUCED IN THE FOLLOWING FORMATS: (1) MASTER INDEX--A LISTING OF ALL DATA CONTAINED WITHIN THE SYSTEM AND PRINTED IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF BOOK NUMBERS; (2) ITEMS INDEX--A LISTING OF PROPERTY DATA WITHIN THE SYSTEM, PRINTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY ITEM AND BRAND IN SEQUENTIAL ORDER OF SERIAL NUMBERS; (3) UNIT STOLEN OR PAWNED PROPERTY INDEX--A LISTING OF PROPERTY DATA WITHIN THE SYSTEM; (4) OFFENSE LOCATION INDEX--A LISTING OF ALL CASE DATA PRINTED IN ALPHABETICAL SEQUENTIAL ORDER BY THE UNIT OF IDENTITY REFLECTED ON THE PERSONAL DATA CARDS; (5) MODUS OPERANDI INDEX--A LISTING OF ALL MODUS OPERANDI PRINTED IN SEQUENTIAL ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF THE OFFENSE CODE CATEGORY OF THE PARTICULAR MODUS OPERANDI DESCRIBED; AND (6) ALPHA INDEX--A LISTING OF ALL IDENTITIES WITH THE SYSTEM PRINTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. SYSTEM COSTS AND EQUIPMENT ARE DISCUSSED, ALONG WITH EXPECTATIONS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM. A SAMPLE PUNCH CARD IS ILLUSTRATED. (RCB)