NCJ Number
67243
Date Published
1977
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GEOCODED BASE FILE FOR POLICE IN ROCHESTER, N.Y., IS OUTLINED ACCORDING TO ITS GOALS, PHASES OF ITS DEVELOPMENT OVER 5 YEARS, PITFALLS IN THE PROCESS, DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS, AND SYSTEM BENEFITS.
Abstract
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GEOCODING SYSTEM IN ROCHESTER BEGAN IN 1968. IT HAD SUCH GOALS AS ADDRESSING POLICE MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS STAFF'S INFORMATION NEEDS; PROVIDING FOR AUTOMATIC GENERATION OF GEOGRAPHICALLY ORIENTED DATA ELEMENTS; DEVELOPING FILE MAINTENANCE, DATA ENTRY AND INFORMATION DISSEMINATION TECHNIQUES; AND ESTABLISHING CREDIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF ALL DATA STORED. THE FILE REFLECTED A GRID-ORIENTED GEOCODING OF THE ROCHESTER STREETS. DEVELOPMENTS OVER 5 YEARS INCLUDED REDESIGNING THE CODING SCHEME FOR CITY BLOCKS ON THE GRID, ANALYZING THE PROFITABILITY OF UNIQUELY IDENTIFYING EACH STREET, CREATING ONLINE UPDATING CAPABILITY, AND PROGRAMMING THE GEOCODING MODULE INTO THREE REPORTING MODULES (CRIME REPORTING, ARREST PROCESSING, AND CALLS-FOR-SERVICE), EFFECTIVE 1973. THE TOTAL TIME FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TOTALLY WORKABLE SYSTEM WAS UNDERESTIMATED, HOWEVER, AND NOT ENOUGH EMPHASIS WAS PLACED ON INHERENT FLEXIBILITY IN STREET ADDRESSING. IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT WAS UNDERSTAFFED. NEVERTHELESS, THE SYSTEM BECAME TRULY EXEMPLARY OF ROCHESTER STREETS, WITH SPECIAL AREAS DESIGNATED FOR HOSPITALS, SHOPPING PLAZAS, CEMETERIES, AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES. MANY BENEFITS HAVE RESULTED FROM THE SYSTEM, SUCH AS ELIMINATION OF EXTRANEOUS MANUAL ENTRY TO RECORD GEOCODED DATA. DATA ENTRY IS CHECKED FOR VALIDITY AT THE TIME OF ENTRY, AND DATA RELIABILITY AND CONSISTENCY ARE GREATLY IMPROVED. ONE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT NOW POSSIBLE IS THAT OF A COMPUTER AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM. MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PROCESS IS THE IMPORTANCE AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL THAT MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE SEEMINGLY MUNDANE DATA ENTRY FUNCTION; THE POINT OF DATA ENTRY IS WHERE THE VALUE OF COLLECTED DATA IS DETERMINED. (MHP)