NCJ Number
94110
Journal
Police Research Bulletin Issue: 40 Dated: (Autumn 1983) Pages: 22-28
Date Published
1983
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the Major Incident Project, which evaluates how the use of computer systems might facilitate the administration and information retrieval capabilities of incident rooms set up to control the inquiry into a major crime.
Abstract
The principal subproject of this research -- the Major Incident Room Index and Action Management (MIRIAM) -- attempts to meet the full police requirement. The latter has emerged as a result of discussions with a number of forces and a number of senior detective officers with responsibility for running incident rooms. MIRIAM attempts to computerize all aspects of major incident room work. The objectives of MIRIAM are to improve the incident room's efficiency and to offer improved information retrieval. A survey, running through the end of 1984, is collecting statistics to be used in estimating the rate of occurrence and subsequent growth of future major enquiries. While results are still unavailable on the MIRIAM experiment, the Home Office has set up interim facilities based on the proprietary package, 'AutoIndex.' Microcomputers, applicable to some incident rooms but not the larger ones, are the subjects of an evaluation by the Home Office, as are minicomputers. Data created on the microcomputer would be transferrable to a large commercial bureau which would offer an AutoIndex emulation service in the event that the incident exceeded the size of the micro. Two references and three figures are included.