Policing Smarter Through IT: Learning From Chicago's Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) System

• NCJ Number: 205698
• Author(s): Wesley G. Skogan; Susan M. Hartnett; Jill DuBois; Jason Bennis; So Young Kim; Dennis Rosenbaum; Lisa Graziano; Cody Stephens
• Date Published: May 2004
• Length: 104 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2002CKWXK003
• Sponsoring Agency: Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University
• Sale Source: NCJRS Photocopy Services; Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded June 9, 2004.

Annotation

This report on the Chicago Police Department's (CPD's) Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) system -- an integrated, state-of-the-art criminal justice information system for Chicago and the State -- describes the major components of CLEAR, identifies aspects of the development process that have affected progress toward completion, and reviews "lessons learned."

Abstract

Through CLEAR, the CPD aims to design and build an all-encompassing "enterprise" information system that will change the way the CPD and related criminal justice agencies conduct their business. CLEAR applications will impact three major functional areas: police management, criminal justice integration, and community/business partnership. This report details CLEAR applications in each of these areas. In the area of police management, CLEAR should promote effective resource allocation, officer management and accountability, risk management and early warning, tactical and strategic planning, and fiscal accountability. In achieving criminal justice integration, CLEAR will facilitate the development and implementation of unified strategies to reduce crime, eliminate criminal justice "bottlenecks," increase accountability among criminal justice agencies, and provide a comprehensive profile of offender activity. In the area of community/business partnership, CLEAR should strengthen problem solving capacities, conduct community needs assessments, and facilitate easy and convenient information sharing and intelligence gathering from the community. The various CLEAR applications will be available through the Intranet at the CPD, the Internet for the public, and the Extranet for other government agencies. Some impediments that are facing the CPD in completing CLEAR include the securing of a continued flow of funding for many of the applications, challenges posed by station infrastructure, and the difficulties of balancing time management. Progress has stalled on many applications due to contract and vendor complications. Projects are also vulnerable to "scope creep," which refers to the expansion of applications to become larger and more complex than originally planned. 12 figures, 9 tables, and 8 references