NCJ Number
64794
Date Published
1978
Length
42 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE BACKGROUND AND GIVES PROCEDURE, COMPONENT, AND OUTPUT INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION CRIME DATA COMPUTERIZED PROGRAM DEVELOPED FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN.
Abstract
THE CRIME DATA PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE DETROIT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DDOT) AND THE SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (SEMTA) SERVICING VARIOUS COUNTIES OUTSIDE DETROIT. IT WAS ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE RELEVANT INFORMATION CONCERNING TRANSIT CRIME AND TO ENCOURAGE A COOPERATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN POLICE AND TRANSIT PERSONNEL. THE PROGRAM USES AS DATA SOURCES MONTHLY CRIME REPORTS BY DDOT AND SEMTA, AND POLICE REPORTS BY SPECIAL TRANSIT POLICE AND A CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT. DATA ARE REPORTED FOR ON-COACH AND COACH-STOP CRIME AND SORTED INTO STANDARD CRIME (MURDER, ASSAULT, THEFT) AND TRANSIT ORDINANCE VIOLATION CATEGORIES. TRANSIT SECURITY PROCESSING INVOLVES THE INITIAL DATA CODING ONTO MONTHLY TRANSIT STATISTICS FORMS, DATA TRANSFER ONTO A MASTER CODING FORM, KEYPUNCHING, AND COMPUTER PROCESSING. THIS PHASE RESULTS IN 35 SUMMARY CRIME DATA TABLES CONTAINING DETAILED CRIME INFORMATION THAT ARE USED FOR DATA COMPARISONS AND EVALUATION OF SECURITY EFFORTS. DATA ARE DISTRIBUTED TO RELEVANT LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES AND DDOT AND SEMTA, AND ARE USED FOR ONGOING PROGRAM EVALUATION. THE PROGRAM ALSO CONTINUALLY MONITORS DATA NEEDS AND USES, ITS OWN COLLECTION PROCEDURES, DATA DISTRIBUTION, AND DATA ANALYSIS. THE PROGRAM CAN EXPAND OR CONTRACT ITS ENTIRE FORMAT AS NEEDS CHANGE. APPENDIXES CONTAIN CRIME CATEGORIES FOR DATA REPORTING, CRIME REPORT FORMS, SAMPLE DATA PRINTOUTS, AND COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS. TABLES AND A MAP ARE INCLUDED. (PAP)