NCJ Number
51067
Date Published
1978
Length
27 pages
Annotation
ACTUAL USE OF COMPUTERS BY POLICE WAS STUDIED THROUGH 2 SURVEYS OF CITIES WITH POPULATION OF 50,000 OR MORE AND THROUGH A LITERATURE SEARCH. IT FOUND POLICE COMPUTER USE IS INCREASING BUT MOSTLY FOR ROUTINE MATTERS.
Abstract
EARLY PREDICTIONS OF POLICE COMPUTER USE FORESAW DATA PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AS A CRIME FIGHTING AND MANAGEMENT DECISION TOOL. DATA FROM SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN 1971 (WITH 375 DEPARTMENTS RESPONDING) AND 1974 (WITH 325 DEPARTMENTS RESPONDING) FOUND, HOWEVER, THAT THE GREATEST COMPUTER USE WAS IN ADMINISTRATION (PAYROLLS, BUDGETS, INVENTORY, AND FLEET MAINTENANCE). THE NEXT MOST COMMON USES WERE TRAFFIC CONTROL (RECORDS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS, CITATIONS, AND PARKING VIOLATIONS), CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND CRIME STATISTICS FILES, AND POLICE PATROL APPLICATIONS. THE PATROL APPLICATIONS VARIED WIDELY, RANGING FROM SOPHISTICATED PATROL SCHEDULING OPERATIONS TO FILES OF OUTSTANDING WARRANTS, STOLEN PROPERTY, AND VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS. IN 1971 THE SURVEYED DEPARTMENTS PREDICTED THAT THEIR GREATEST INCREASE IN COMPUTER USE WOULD BE IN RESOURCE ALLOCATION, CRIME INVESTIGATION, AND COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH. BY 1974 COMPUTER TIME DEVOTED TO RESOURCE ALLOCATION HAD INCREASED FOUR FOLD BUT CRIME INVESTIGATION AND COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH WERE AT 1971 LEVELS. A BRIEF SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 1977 FOUND THAT RESOURCE ALLOCATION WAS CONTINUING AS THE FASTEST GROWING AREA OF COMPUTER USE, BUT CRIME INVESTIGATION AND DISPATCH CONTINUED TO HAVE LOW PRIORITY. THE LITERATURE SEARCH CONFIRMS THE SURVEY FINDINGS. TABLES AND GRAPHS PRESENT THE SURVEY RESULTS. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)