NCJ Number
205841
Date Published
July 1999
Length
36 pages
Annotation
This report presents a review of the use of crime mapping and data-driven management practices to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement.
Abstract
In part 1, crime mapping and data-driven management are introduced. Experts list the use of crime mapping and data-driven management as among the key factors contributing to the improvement in law enforcement effectiveness. Declining rates of crime, particularly violent crime, seen at the end of the 1990’s bolstered reports of smarter law enforcement policies and practices. In 1998, the Task Force on Crime Mapping and Data-Driven Management was created to learn how crime mapping and data-driven management were being used by police organizations and to discover ways to increase their use to further reduce crime. Crime mapping dates back to the 19th century when it was used by cartographers who first analyzed national crime patterns. Today, computer technology has allowed for the development of geographic information systems, which are capable of mapping crimes and producing a large amount of information relevant to community level crime. Data-driven management involves the belief that crime can be reduced through the use of effective management that utilizes available and relevant information to devise policy and practice. Part 2 discusses the importance of utilizing crime mapping and data-driven management practices to enhance the effectiveness of community-oriented policing programs. While crime mapping and data-driven management are widely recognized as beneficial to law enforcement effectiveness, not all law enforcement agencies are benefiting from the rapid advancements in information technology. Five recommendations are made for expanding law enforcement capacity for and use of crime mapping and data-driven management practices. Part 3 discusses the importance of an integrated information communication system to the well-being of communities. Public agencies tend to compartmentalize information by agency or by department, increasing the chances for missed law enforcement opportunities. Three recommendations are made for increasing the exchange of information between law enforcement agencies and other public safety organizations. Part 4 discusses three main strategies to increase Federal law enforcement’s capacity to use crime mapping and data-driven management practices. Part 5 presents law enforcement success stories from around the country involving the use of crime mapping techniques and data-driven management practices.