NCJ Number
225555
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 35 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 136,138,142
Date Published
October 2008
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article describes the innovative technological tool known as COPLINK CompStat Analyzer, offering law enforcement a solution that automates data analysis processes from compilation and comparison to visualization and real-time analysis.
Abstract
Since 1991, CompStat (short for comparative or computer statistics) has gained exceptional recognition for its role in knowledge-based law enforcement. CompStat enables police to see where crime is happening and respond accordingly. However, traditional CompStat solutions are costly due to their high customization which results in data analysis that requires manual processing. The solution was the development of the COPLINK CompStat Analyzer. The CompStat analyzer uses numbers from an agency’s existing databases, which underlie the COPLINK technology. It enables query results to be returned in seconds, and to be parsed into geographic and other visual display forms. In addition, the data collection phase itself is automated and ongoing. To see overall trends, CompStat is designed to look at aggregate data and will give the user a strategic view of what has happened historically within their operational environment. COPLINK CompStat Analyzer does not need to be customized to an agency, so it remains comparatively affordable. CompStat Analyzer’s easy access to records and its automated processes make it a reality for agencies that use it. The CompStat Analyzer’s effectiveness is described through the key role the product plays to the recently initiated Southern California Gang Emergency Operations Center (GEOC).