NCJ Number
220276
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 76 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2007 Pages: 15-22
Date Published
October 2007
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This article describes how a small police agency, the Gardena Police Department (California), created a simple but informative crime reporting and mapping system that cost under $1,000 and did not require a full-time crime analysis unit.
Abstract
The Gardena Police Department (GPD) identified its need for a statistically based crime reporting and mapping system through a strategic planning process. It then developed a simple but effective method of distributing crime information in the form of maps and reports to appropriate personnel, including managers and supervisors. They review the information prior to their decisions about deploying personnel. The GPD shares a regional database computer system with three neighboring agencies. The network contains a computer-aided dispatch, a records management system, a custody management system, and an automated report-writing system. Such integrated systems are advantageous for creating reports and maps, since there is a data record for each crime incident. The agency's command staff studies all available crime data and calls-for-service. Determining which data to include in the reports and maps is critical. Planners should talk to officers, supervisors, and investigators in order to determine what information would be most helpful to them. Planners must also determine which crimes are the most prevalent in the community. In addition to describing the planning stage used by the GPD, this article also discusses the characteristics and uses of the required computer software and the training needed for existing personnel. Other major sections of this article address the data-input procedure, the production of reports and maps, the distribution of the database reports, and the assessment of the reports and maps. 2 figures and 14 notes