NCJ Number
51075
Date Published
1978
Length
27 pages
Annotation
THE HISTORY, EARLY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT, OPERATION, AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SPRINT 1 AND SPRINT 2 IN NEW YORK CITY ARE DETAILED. AN EVALUATION OF THE SYSTEM FINDS IT WELL PLANNED AND COST EFFECTIVE.
Abstract
THIS REVIEW IS DIVIDED INTO FIVE PARTS: A BRIEF HISTORY AND OUTLINE OF THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPRINT (SPECIAL POLICE RADIO INQUIRY NETWORK) COMPUTER-AIDED DISPATCH SYSTEM; A DESCRIPTION OF THE FIRST SYSTEM; A REVIEW OF SOME OF THE IMPORTANT IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS AND PROBLEMS; A DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE REFINEMENTS INCORPORATED INTO THE SPRINT 2 SYSTEM; AND AN OVERALL EVALUATION. THE SYSTEM ROUTES INCOMING EMERGENCY NUMBER CALLS (RECEIVED ON THE '911' LINE) TO AN OPERATOR WHO ASCERTAINS THE NATURE OF THE CALL AND ENTERS THE RELEVANT INFORMATION INTO THE SPRINT SYSTEM VIA A COMPUTER TERMINAL. THE SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY IDENTIFIES THE PRECINCT AND SECTOR OF THE BOROUGH FROM THE STREET ADDRESS, ROUTES THE INFORMATION TO THE APPROPRIATE STATION, AND, SIMULTANEOUSLY, NOMINATES FIVE CARS TO ANSWER THE CALL. IF ALL CARS ARE BUSY, THE COMPUTER NOMINATES CARS IN ADJACENT SECTORS. IT KEEPS A PERMANENT RECORD OF THE INCIDENT AND ALSO GENERATES REPORTS. NONEMERGENCY CALLS ARE QUEUED IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE AT THE DISPATCH DESK OF THE APPROPRIATE PRECINCT. A CLOCK KEEPS TRACK OF TIME ELAPSED AND IF THE CALL IS NOT PUNCHED AS 'ANSWERED' WITHIN HALF AN HOUR, AN 'OVERDUE' WARNING IS FLASHED. COST OF SPRINT 1 SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT WAS $5 MILLION, ALL OF WHICH CAME FROM CITY FUNDS; SPRINT 2 COST $11.8 MILLION. THIS IS ROUGHLY 4 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL POLICE OPERATING BUDGET. THE AMORTIZED DEVELOPMENT COST PLUS YEARLY OPERATIONAL COST IS $900,000-$1,100,000 A YEAR. THIS IS COMPARABLE TO THE COST OF PROVIDING 4 PATROL CAR UNITS 24 HOURS A DAY FOR A YEAR. PRECINCTS AND DISTRICTS MAY USE SPRINT DATA TO PLAN MANPOWER DEPLOYMENT, BUT THIS IS OPTIONAL. FOR THIS REASON THE SYSTEM HAS HAD GOOD ACCEPTANCE. NOTES AND REFERENCES ARE APPENDED. (GLR)