NCJ Number
115012
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1989) Pages: 20-21,24-25
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Miami Police Department's updated (1984) computer system, with particular attention to computer-aided dispatch (CAD) and computer-assisted report entry (CARE).
Abstract
The city has replaced its four computers with a Unisys dual processor B 7900 mainframe. One of the CAD enhancements is the hazardous location file, which automatically alerts a dispatcher that a potentially dangerous situation exists at a specific address. The dispatcher can alert the responding officer to this fact and assign additional units to respond. Another feature, the one-hour callup, prompts dispatchers to contact officers who have not checked in for 60 minutes. The CARE allows police to cross-access the names of victims, witnesses, and persons filing reports, thus permitting investigators to build a 'tree' of leads by going through different cases that may not apparently be related. In the near future, the 'pawn system' program will automatically compare the database of items reported stolen to one showing items that have been pawned. Reports can also be generated through the 'property system' program to track evidence in a case, show found property, and provide an inventory of seized or confiscated items. The system has been helpful in burglar alarm 'invoicing,' the determination of personnel allocations, and the monitoring of complaints against police officers.