NCJ Number
66264
Date Published
1971
Length
34 pages
Annotation
PROCEEDINGS ARE REPORTED FROM THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE USE OF ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING IN CRIMINAL POLICE WORK HELD IN FRANCE IN NOVEMBER 1971.
Abstract
THE FOLLOWING MAJOR POINTS WERE DISCUSSED BY PARTICIPATING GOVERNMENTS: THE CHOICE OF DATA CATEGORIES TO BE PROCESSED BY COMPUTER, PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN COLLECTION AND PREPARATION OF CRIME DATA FOR PROCESSING, ORGANIZATION OF A DATA SYSTEM, EQUIPMENT, AND PROBLEMS OF TECHNICAL RELIABILITY AND DATA SECRECY. DISCUSSION OF DATA CATEGORIES PROCESSED BY COMPUTER COVERED FIREARMS DATA IN ITALY, CRIMINAL SEARCH FILES AND THE NATIONAL VEHICLE INDEX IN FRANCE, SYSTEMATIC CRIMINAL STATISTICS DATA AND FINGERPRINTS IN CANADA, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES. THE PROBLEMS OF PROGRAMMING CRIMINALS' MODUS OPERANDI, AS WELL AS PROGRESS MADE IN COMPUTERIZING NATIONAL FINGERPRINT FILES IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES WERE ALSO DISCUSSED. PROBLEMS OF UPDATING POLICE FILES, THE MAINTENANCE OF ACCURATE AND COMPLETE DATA, AND THE RETENTION OF ADEQUATELY TRAINED POLICE PERSONNEL FOR PROGRAMMING WORK WERE DESCRIBED BY SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES. A BUSINESS EXPERT DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH PROGRAMMING. HE ARGUED THAT THE SOFTWARE SHOULD USE ALL THE RESOURCES OFFERED BY THE COMPUTER, ALLOW FOR RAPID ACCESS TO THE DATA STORED, CONTAIN A SIMPLE BUT COMPLETE LANGUAGE, MANAGE A DATA BANK AND A TELEPROCESSING NETWORK, OPERATE RELIABLY, BE ABLE TO DETECT ERRORS, AND MAKE ACCESS BY UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS IMPOSSIBLE. HE THEN DESCRIBED THREE PROGRAMS PRODUCED BY THE AMERICAN COMPANY: PASTER, UDB, AND LEMRAS. THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND THE TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS WERE ALSO DECRIBED BY SEVERAL WEST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. METHODS OF INSURING THAT DATA REMAINED SECRET INCLUDE VARIOUS KINDS OF A 'BLOCKED PROGRAM' SYSTEM. AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF INDIVIDUAL SYMPOSIUM PARTICIPANTS BY COUNTRY IS PROVIDED. (DEG)