NCJ Number
48289
Date Published
1972
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE PATTERN RECOGNITION AND INFORMATION CORRELATION (PATRIC) PROJECT, ENHANCES THE MANAGEMENT OF MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CRIME AND CRIME-RELATED REPORTS PROCESSED IN LOS ANGELES.
Abstract
GOALS OF THE PROJECT WERE TO PROVIDE THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT (LAPD) WITH EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE USE OF MODUS OPERANDI, SUSPECT, VEHICLE, AND STOLEN/PAWN INFORMATION FILES THROUGH A DYNAMIC AND FLEXIBLE SYSTEM CAPABLE OF SUPPLYING TIMELY, CONDENSED, AND CORRELATED DATA. THE TEST-BED OPERATION INCLUDED EIGHT INTERACTIVE TERMINALS OPERATING IN SIX ADJACENT GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS OF LOS ANGELES AND COVERING A REPRESENTATIVE CROSS SECTION OF MOST SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS WITHIN THE CITY. THE DATA BASE ESTABLISHED FOR THE TEST WAS COMPOSED OF EIGHT FILES WHICH GROUP SIMILAR CRIMES TOGETHER AND WHICH PERMIT STORAGE FOR 6 MONTHS BEFORE REQUIRING PURGING OF THE FILE. THE EIGHT CATEGORIES WERE: CRIME INCLUDING AGGRAVATED ASSAULT; HOMICIDE, KIDNAPPING, PROWL, RAPE, CHILD ANNOYANCE/MOLEST, EXPOSURE, AND MISCILLANEOUS SEX CRIMES; ROBBERIES OF VARYING TYPES; BURGLARY AND ATTEMPTS; BURGLARY/THEFT FROM VEHICLES AND ATTEMPTS; AUTO FIELD INTERVIEWS; SUSPECTS INCLUDING SEX REGISTRANTS AND INVESTIGATOR'S FINAL REPORTS; PAWN TRANSACTIONS; AND PROPERTY (DISCONTINUED APRIL 1972). A RESEARCH ANALYST WAS LOCATED IN EACH OF THE TEST DIVISIONS TO OPERATED THE COMPUTER TERMINAL, PERFORM MODUS OPERANDI ANALYTICAL OPERATIONS, AND ACT AS LIAISON BETWEEN POLICE AND PATRIC PROJECT PERSONNEL. ON-LINE TESTING WAS CONDUCTED FOR 14 MONTHS. OF A TOTAL OF 2,785 CORRELATION ATTEMPTS, 1,044 RESULTED IN SUCCESSFUL CORRELATIONS (EG., PATRIC WAS ABLE TO SUPPLY ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATIVE INFORMATION) FOR A 37 PERCENT SUCCESS RATE. EVEN WHEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN SUPPLYING INFORMATION, PATRIC AIDED IN ELIMINATING VARIOUS AVENUES OF INVESTIGATION. EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF PATRIC ASSISTANCE IN STRATEGIC PATROL DEPLOYMENT WAS DIFFICULT. AN ADJACENCY GROUP REPORTING METHOD WHICH PERMITS REPRESENTATION OF A CRIME INDEX PINPOINTING GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF HIGHEST CRIME CONCENTRATION WAS IMPLEMENTED TOO LATE FOR ADEQUATE EVALUATION. MINIPROJECTS WITHIN THE GENERAL CATEGORIES OF INVESTIGATIVE AND PATROL PROCESSING INCLUDED DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATIC CORRELATION STRATEGIES FOR SPECIFIC OFFENSE CATEGORIES AND DETECTION OF MULTIPLE OCCURRENCES OF DATA ELEMENTS. STOLEN PROPERTY PROCESSING WAS FOUND TO LACK OPERATIONAL UTILITY AND WAS DISCONTINUED. FOUR SOFTWARE PACKAGES WERE COMPARED AND GUIDELINES FOR PACKAGE EVALUATION AND MODIFICATION WERE DEVELOPED BASED ON SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. FURTHER RESEARCH IS ONGOING. (JAP)