NCJ Number
51065
Editor(s)
K W COLTON
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THE CONSEQUENCES AND THE DIFFUSION OF INNOVATION IN THE APPLICATION OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY TO SUCH AREAS AS POLICE PATROL AND INQUIRY, DISPATCHING, POLICE RESOURCE ALLOCATION, AND POLICE ADMINISTRATION ARE ADDRESSED.
Abstract
FOLLOWING AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXPECTATIONS, IMPLEMENTATION, EXPERIENCE, RESULTS, AND IMPACT OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY'S APPLICATION TO POLICE FUNCTIONING, SEVEN CASE STUDIES ARE PRESENTED WITH REGARD TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED POLICE RESOURCE ALLOCATION METHODS AND THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY IN POLICE COMMAND AND CONTROL. THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS ARE EXAMINED: (1) THE USE OF COMPUTER-ASSISTED PATROL DEPLOYMENT IN THE ST. LOUIS (MO.) METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT; (2) THE INTRODUCTION OF SOPHISTICATED ALLOCATION TECHNIQUES IN THE BOSTON (MASS.) POLICE DEPARTMENT; (3) THE USE OF RESOURCE-ALLOCATION MODELS IN THE LOS ANGELES (CALIF.) POLICE DEPARTMENT; (4) COMPUTER-ASSISTED DISPATCHING IN THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT; (5) THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM BY THE SAN DIEGO (CALIF.) POLICE DEPARTMENT; (6) PHASE I IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AUTOMATIC VEHICLE MONITORING SYSTEM IN ST. LOUIS; AND (7) A TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO REFORM IN COMMAND AND CONTROL OF THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE FINDINGS OF THE THREE CASE STUDIES DEALING WITH RESOURCE ALLOCATION METHODS ARE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF POLICE USE AND ACCEPTANCE OF ADVANCED DEPLOYMENT TECHNIQUES. THEIR IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM EFFORTS ARE ALSO ASSESSED. THE PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE USE ARE DISCUSSED, WITH ATTENTION TO THE DIFFUSION OF POLICE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELATING TO ROUTINE AND NONROUTINE APPLICATIONS. A SUMMARY OF ISSUE AREAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE USE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY BY THE POLICE IS APPENDED, ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH TOOLS UTILIZED TO DOCUMENT THE GROWTH, EXTENT, AND INFLUENCE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AS APPLIED TO POLICING. REFERENCES AND GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. AN INDEX IS OMITTED. (KBL)