CRI3701 Crime Information Systems Flashcards

Crime Information Systems

Introduction

• This module demonstrates the importance of crime information systems in fighting crime.
• Upon completion, students should be able to:
  • Manage data and information.
  • Interpret, analyze, and safeguard information.
  • Conduct threat analyses.
  • Develop policing strategies.
  • Plan and implement operations using crime information management systems in the South African policing environment.
• This can be achieved by:
  • Understanding the difference between data and information.
  • Ensuring information integrity.
  • Improving the systems for better use of information.

Learning Prerequisites

• Learning at NQF level 6 (second year of a degree or diploma).
• Language, numeracy, and communication skills at NQF level 5.
• Ability to learn from predominantly written material.
• Ability to communicate learned material comprehensively through written or oral media.
• Ability to take responsibility for personal progress and adjust to the learning environment.
• Ability to apply theory to practice.
• Successful completion of the module Introduction to information systems for policing (CRI2601).

Study Unit 1: Management of Data and Information for Crime Prevention Purposes

Learning Outcomes

• Understand that information is managed by:
  • Distinguishing between data, information, and surveillance.
  • Interpreting information.
  • Analyzing information gathered.
  • Using and managing data and information systems.
  • Using crime information management to make recommendations for strategic plans.
  • Applying surveillance methods and systems.
• Crime information management is achieved by:
  • Sifting data and unrelated material.
  • Protecting information.
  • Safeguarding.
  • Verifying information.

Introduction

• Focus is on managing data and information using various crime information systems to prevent crime.
• Policing requires collecting information (raw data) on various activities from different sources.
• Information collected for one policing function may need to be related to information collected elsewhere for different purposes.
• Consistent processes are required at all levels of policing to manage police information as a corporate resource for law enforcement agencies.
• In South Africa:
  • The Crime Information Management Centre of the South African Police Service (SAPS) performs this function.
  • Other law enforcement agencies such as metropolitan (metro) police and the military police of the South African Defence Force (SANDF) have their own units.

Conceptual Analysis

• Data: Raw material for data processing (Israel & Perry 1990:1). Relates to facts, events, and transactions.
  • Exists in various forms: numbers or text on paper, bits and bytes in electronic memory, or facts in a person’s mind.
• Information: Data that have been processed to be meaningful to the person who receives it (Israel & Perry 1990:2). Anything that is communicated.
  • Example: Completed questionnaires about a crime pattern are data, while a report prepared from their analysis is information (Ratcliffe 2007:50).

Police Information

• Information required for a policing purpose, namely:
  • Protecting life and property.
  • Preserving order.
  • Preventing the commission of crime.
  • Bringing offenders to justice.
  • Any duty or responsibility arising from common or statutory law.
• These five purposes provide the legal basis for collecting, recording, evaluating, sharing, and retaining police information.
• They do not replace or supersede any existing duty or power defined by statute or common law, and they are not mutually exclusive (Ratcliffe 2007:34).
• Information can be collected for one policing purpose and used for another.
  • Example: Information collected about a suspect in Durban can be used to link the same suspect to incidents or crime in Nelspruit.
• Facts:
  • On 10 August 2019, police in Limpopo Province arrested five suspects shortly after they allegedly committed a robbery at a clothing store in the Bela Bela central business district (CBD).
  • Investigations revealed that the suspects were from Gauteng but were linked to a series of business robberies committed across Limpopo and other provinces.
  • This shows how police can link suspects who committed crimes in various parts of the country through information collection.

Legislative Requirements

• Various pieces of legislation and regulatory frameworks, including the Constitution, address the issue of information.
• Section 32(1) of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right of access to:
  • Any information held by the state
  • Any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights.
• Section 32(2) stipulates that national legislation must be enacted to give effect to this right.
• This was achieved through the promulgation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000.
• Compliance with the law is central to the acquisition of police information at all levels of governance.
• Police officials must be conversant with laws such as:
  • Protection of Information Act 84 of 1982
  • South African Police Service Act 68 of 1995
  • South African Police Service Amendment Act of 10 of 2012
  • Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977
  • Minimum Information Security Standards (MISS) of 1996.

Information as a Resource for Policing

• Collection of appropriate data and information, its accurate assessment, and timely exploitation are core to efficient policing (Maltz, Gordon & Friedman 2000:21).
• Information collected for one policing purpose may have value for another purpose.
• All police information must be treated as a corporate resource.
• Information collected in one policing precinct may be relevant to another jurisdiction or useful for another policing agency.
• Information on reckless driving collected by the Durban Metro Police can be useful for the SAPS in crimes such as culpable homicide, cash-in-transit armed robbery, and bank robbery.
• Information should be collected, recorded, evaluated, and analyzed consistently across organizational and force boundaries or jurisdictions (Maltz et al 2000:21).
• Police information is a corporate resource for the whole police institution and should be available to support any policing purpose, no matter where it originated.

Critical Information Areas

• Some police information is particularly valuable to policing.
• No guidance can prescribe exactly what police information may be critical in any given circumstance; this decision can only be made by staff in possession of the relevant facts (Maltz et al 2000:12).
• Certain information should always be considered:
  • About known or suspected offenders.
  • Obtained from sensitive or covert sources.
  • About serious offenses, including terrorism, organized crime, serious and violent crimes, domestic violence, offenses against children and vulnerable adults, automated teller machine bombings, and cash-in-transit armed robberies.
  • About threats to life or of serious harm.
• Information on these critical areas normally comprises factual information such as details of arrests, charges and statements, as well as details of suspected offenses or the methods employed by criminals to commit an offense (modus operandi) (Maltz et al 2000:21).

Collection of Police Information

• Collected in different ways but mostly through traditional methods:
  • Reporting a criminal case via the Case Administration System (CAS).
  • Informers.
  • Closed circuit television.
  • Surveillance.
  • Photographs.
• Due to improvements in policing strategies, intelligence-led policing approaches are now common (Pastra, Saggion & Wilk 2003:3).
• Increased information collection through a prioritized tasking and coordination process.
• Collected reactively or proactively through routine collection, tasked information or volunteered information.
• Commanders/managers, supervisors and users/operators must ensure that information is collected properly.
• After collection, information is analyzed and then used for operations. Crime information analysis is discussed in detail in Study Unit 5.

Recording of Police Information

• Recording police information makes it a corporate resource, transferring it from an individual to the organizational memory.
• The way information is recorded allows for it to be evaluated/assessed, analyzed, and actioned.
• Benefits of recording police information in accordance with national standards (Ratcliffe 2007:56):
  • Ensuring that all police information held for policing purposes is in accordance with the law.
  • Being able to use the information to support decision making through intelligence-driven policing principles.
  • Providing an auditable decision-making process.
  • Being able to evaluate, analyse, risk assess and corroborate other related information.
  • Being able to share information within the police service and with other agencies and the public.
• Failure to record information correctly can prevent police agencies from being able to adequately manage risk to the public, create a potential for misuse of resources, and prevent meeting national and local policing objectives (Maltz et al 2000:22).
• Checklist for recording police information:
  • Ensure that information is recorded for policing purposes.
  • Ensure that information is recorded in the appropriate format for the jurisdiction or policing precinct in which it is held.
  • Ensure that information is recorded according to the data quality principles – accurate, adequate, relevant and timely.
  • Ensure that checks and balances are in place to avoid creating duplicate records.
  • Ensure that links are made to existing records.
  • Ensure that legislative guidelines have been followed.
• Commanders/managers, supervisors and users/operators are responsible for ensuring that police information is recorded properly.

Evaluating and Actioning of Police Information

• All police information is evaluated to determine its provenance, accuracy, and continuing relevance to a policing purpose and what action should be taken.
• Provenance is the ability to determine the reliability and credibility of the source and the value of the content of the information (Pastra et al 2003:3).
• The evaluation process determines the type of action that should be taken regarding the information.
  • Action may include an immediate response, further development of the information, deciding whether to share the information with other agencies or deciding not to do anything with the information at that point in time, subject to review.
• Evaluation involves searching and making connections with other records or criminal acts.
  • SAPS uses the Criminal Record Centre (local or national) to connect various criminals through fingerprint, palmprint, or kneeprint analysis.
  • During roadblocks, the Morpho touch machine is used to find out if a suspect has outstanding cases in other jurisdictions.
• Evaluation should be proportionate to the nature of the information.
  • A series of reports on similar events or situations might require a more in-depth analysis to see if they form a pattern.
  • A series of reports on fires started at particular locations might warrant details of these incidents being entered into an information/intelligence report.
• Principles for evaluating police information (Maltz et al 2000:22):
  • The provenance, accuracy, and reliability of the information content must be established.
  • Provenance includes assessment of the reliability of the source, risk to the source and subject, risk to the storage and use of the information.
  • A risk assessment applies, where appropriate.
  • A decision is taken on whether to sanitize the police information where the source or content is sensitive.
  • Links between different records are identified.
  • The information is assessed for its intelligence value and its input into the intelligence policing precinct if appropriate.
  • A prior assessment can be applied.
• Police information is evaluated in accordance with the format in which it was recorded and the policing precinct/jurisdiction where it is held.
• Actioning any police information may result in one of the following responses (Maltz et al 2000:22):
  • Initiating a response: Includes an immediate operational response, a decision to share the record, or a referral to the tasking and coordination group.
  • Generating further research and development: Includes the development of intelligence outcomes.
  • Making the decision: Deciding not to do anything at this point in time, subject to review at a future date.
• The responsibility of actioning rests with the commanders/managers, supervisors and operators/users.

Sharing of Information

• Information sharing refers to the processing of information either on a once-off basis or on an ongoing basis between partners for the purpose of achieving a common aim.
• In South Africa:
  • Intelligence information is shared by the SAPS Crime Intelligence Division, the SANDF’s Military Intelligence, and the State Security Agency (SSA).
  • Coordinated by the office of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (South Africa 1996c:40).
  • Crime information is shared with:
    • Agencies or government departments such as the Immigration Branch of the Department of Home Affairs.
    • The Customs Service of the South African Revenue Service.
    • The metro/municipal police services.
    • The provincial traffic police agencies.
• Information should not be shared purely as a matter of routine; each case must be viewed individually, and informed decisions made about whether or not to share it.
• Information sharing must be carried out within the existing legal framework.
  • In South Africa, the National Strategic Intelligence Act 39 of 1994 provides this legal framework.
  • Where there is an absence of a specific duty to share, a power or policing purpose usually needs to be identified.
  • Legal obligations for processing information under common and statutory law must be considered before sharing can take place.
• Top management is responsible for information sharing.

Review, Retention, and Disposal of Information

• Review: Examination of a person’s record, and all associated records, to ensure:
  • A continuing policing purpose for holding the record.
  • The record is adequate, up to date, and not excessive.
  • All personal records are compliant with legal principles (Ratcliffe 2007:45).
• Retention: Continued storage of and controlled access to information held for a policing purpose which has been justified through the evaluation and review process.
• Disposal: Removal of information from all police systems, justified through the evaluation and review process, to the extent that the information cannot be restored (South Africa 1996b:95).
• Commanders/managers, supervisors and user/operators are responsible for review, retention, and disposal.

Management of Data and Information

Interpretation of Information

• In policing, information is interpreted by a crime analysis system, which involves systematic analysis for identifying and analyzing patterns and trends in crime and disorder (Ratcliffe 2007:46).
• Information on patterns helps police agencies to deploy resources more effectively and assists detectives in identifying and apprehending suspects.
• Crime analysis also plays a role in devising solutions to crime problems and formulating crime prevention strategies.
• Quantitative social science data analysis methods are part of the crime analysis process, although qualitative methods also play a role.
• The Crime Information Management Centre of the SAPS Crime Intelligence Division is responsible for this function.
• At station level, this function is performed by the crime intelligence unit.

Analysis of Information

• Analysis of information or crime analysis is the “systematic study of crime and disorder problems as well as other police- related issues, including socio-demographic, spatial and temporal factors, to assist the police in criminal apprehension, crime and disorder reduction, crime prevention, and evaluation” (Boba, in Ratcliffe 2007:13).
• The role of the SARA model is very important in information analysis.

Using and Managing Data and Information Systems

• This relates to the use of data and the management of information for specific functional purposes such as criminal investigation, operational planning, or intelligence gathering.
• Data/information may be text-based or numerical/statistical and may be processed and managed via a wide range of systems, including computer-based applications, other electronic systems, or paper-based systems (Johnson 2000:4).
• Progression is characterized by the increasing complexity of:
  • Data and information being processed.
  • Outputs required.
  • Activities involved (from basic data input and more complex manipulation and presentation of information to the development of models and processes for managing data and information).
• System operators, supervisors, and commanders must be conversant with the functioning of the systems.

Using Crime Information Management Systems

• Crime information management is used to capture crime information for a policing purpose.
• To facilitate this, the process of managing police information within each law enforcement agency must be defined in an agency information system management strategy (ISMS).
• The ISMS is a high-level document/strategy that sets out the principles applicable to information management within a law enforcement agency; its components include:
  • Who is responsible for police information held within the agency.
  • The purpose of collecting and holding information.
  • The safeguards that will be applied to police information held by other agencies.
  • What controls are applied to ensure the integrity and security of police information held by the agency.
  • The training in place to support the management of police information.
  • Arrangements for receiving records and monitoring record keeping.
  • How the agency will comply with national and local security policy and standards.
• All police officials as well as commanders and managers are responsible for managing police information and are expected to have specific responsibilities according to their roles, including compliance with all the relevant legislation.

Surveillance Methods and Systems

• Surveillance as an information system is a process that involves collecting relevant data systematically for a specified purpose and during a defined period of time, managing and organising the data, analysing and interpreting it, and communicating the results to those empowered to make beneficial changes (Lorren & Herwaldt 1997:513).
• In a policing context, surveillance enables police officials to identify new problems quickly and to intervene immediately after they have determined the probable causes.
• The most common surveillance methods are periodic and prevalence surveillance.

Crime Information Management

• Crime Information management is achieved by:
  • Sifting data and unrelated material, and
  • Protecting, safeguarding and verifying information.

Sifting Data and Unrelated Material

• Data sifting means amassing evidence and appraising, assessing, assorting, bolting, categorizing, clarifying or classifying data from unrelated material (Ratcliffe 2007:34).
• In policing, it is very important to sift data from unrelated material before a case is investigated to focus on the real issues at hand.
• SAPS Crime Intelligence as well the Crime Information Management Centre conduct sifting processes before a case is analyzed or even before crime statistics can be authenticated for loading.

Protecting Information

• Many examples of systems requiring protection of information exist:
  • Credit bureaus, data banks, law enforcement information systems, time-sharing service bureaus, online medical information systems, and government social service data processing systems.
• Require a plan to ensure that the computer system helps in implementing the correct authority structure.
• Terms: Privacy, Security and Protection.
  • Privacy: Socially defined ability of an individual (or organization) to determine whether, when, and to whom personal (or organizational) information is to be released.
  • Security: Describes techniques that control who may use or modify the computer or the information contained in it (Johnson 2000:5).
    • Security violations classified in three categories (Anderson 2006:6):
      • Unauthorized information release: Unauthorized person is able to read and take advantage of information stored in the computer; includes unauthorized use of a proprietary program.
      • Unauthorized information modification: Unauthorized person is able to make changes in stored information – a form of sabotage.
      • Unauthorized denial of use: Intruder can prevent an authorized user from referring to or modifying information – another form of sabotage.
• Security techniques applied to computer systems as security measures against unauthorized use, modification, and release of information (Anderson 2006:10):
  • Labelling files with lists of authorized users.
  • Verifying the identity of a prospective user by demanding a password.
  • Shielding the computer to prevent interception and subsequent interpretation of electromagnetic radiation.
  • Encrypting information sent over telephone lines.
  • Locking the room containing the computer.
  • Controlling who is allowed to make changes to the computer system (both its hardware and software).
  • Using redundant circuits or programmed cross-checks that maintain security in the face of hardware or software failures.
  • Certifying that the hardware and software are actually implemented as intended.
• Alternative is to rely on eight design principles which tend to reduce both the number and the seriousness of any flaws (Johnson 2000:4):
  • Economy of mechanism.
  • Fail-safe defaults.
  • Complete mediation.
  • Open design.
  • Separation of privilege.
  • Least privilege.
  • Least common mechanism.
  • Psychological acceptability.

Safeguarding Information

• Disclosure of sensitive information can cause severe damage to an organization.

• Organizations are required to create and maintain a program for effectively protecting sensitive information throughout its life cycle (Rasmussen 2008:126).

• Chapter 4 of the Protection of Information Act 84 of 1982 read with Chapter 7 of the MISS document of 1996 provides this requirement.

• A data/information security policy should detail how sensitive information is labeled, stored, distributed, and destroyed.

• Classification:

  • The basic principles of information classification include public, personal, internal, and confidential.
  • Classification is needed so that everyone knows how an information asset should be protected.
  • Without classifications, data/information is not safeguarded appropriately and disclosure may occur.

• Storage:

  • Sensitive documents must be stored under lock and key and never left unattended.
  • Sensitive information in digital form should use strong encryption on network drives and in databases.
  • Sensitive files must also be encrypted when stored in non-secure locations such as hotel rooms (South Africa 1996b:89).

• Transportation:

  • Hard-copy documents must be controlled at all times and kept in the physical possession of an authorized employee.
  • When transporting sensitive documentation, ensure that it is protected from view by unauthorized personnel.
  • When transporting documents off-site, seal them in an envelope marked with a street address and phone number (South Africa 1996b:98).

• Distribution:

  • Restrict access to sensitive information to employees with a need to know.
  • Remind employees that all sensitive documentation is subject to a non-disclosure agreement signed upon the date of hire.

• Destruction:

  • Sensitive documents must be destroyed. Hard-copy documents should be shredded.
  • Sensitive files must be deleted from temporary directories and the Recycle Bin.
  • Electronic media used to store sensitive information must be physically destroyed before discarding it.

• Incidents:

  • Disclosure of sensitive information is a security incident and should be treated as such.

• Maintenance:

  • The data/information security program must be maintained in order to be effective.
  • Reinforce policy with a security awareness programme.

• Verifying information:

  • Verification of information is done before a case can be investigated or an operation plan can be executed.
  • At station level, verification is done by the Crime Intelligence Office but at national and provincial level, it is the responsibility of the National Crime Information Centre (NCIC).

• Skills:

  • The collection of information is a skill that police officials need to possess.

Conclusion

• It is risky to make policing decisions or take action (operation) based on information that is unreliable; information which has not been properly interrogated and quality controlled is inherently unreliable.
• It is very important that law enforcement agencies distinguish between data and information before an operation is undertaken.
• It is also important that operators ensure that information is safeguarded in terms of the applicable policies and laws of the country without violating the individual rights of suspects or alleged criminals as provided in the Constitution.

Study Unit 2: Information Integrity

Learning Outcomes

• Ensure that information integrity complies with the following principles:
  • Accuracy
  • Adequacy
  • Relevancy
  • Reliability
  • Recorded in good time

Introduction

• Information integrity is the most valuable commodity that law enforcement agencies need to protect.
• It is what criminals want to obtain most and what corrupt police officials use when betraying their colleagues and their profession.
• Police officials must ensure that before information is used for crime prevention operations or purposes, such information complies with: accuracy, adequacy, relevancy, reliability and recorded in good time.

Conceptual Analysis

• Information integrity is the trustworthiness and dependability of information.

• More specifically, it is the accuracy, relevancy, consistency and reliability of the information content, processes and systems (Flowerday & Von Solms 2007:14).

• A distinguishing feature of information integrity is its focus on all of the environments or domains that ultimately govern the integrity of information.

• The three domains of information integrity are content, process and system.

• Information content: The set of data elements provided to the user to enable the attainment of a task’s objectives.

• Process: Organized set of logical functions designed to transform an input to a specified output.

• System: Organized set of physical and logical components to achieve a specific purpose.

• Information integrity is a prerequisite for many other information management initiatives.

• If the underlying information is not of a sufficient level of integrity, the success of a crime prevention initiative activity relying on such information will be limited.

Information Quality

• Information quality is a measure of the value that the information provides to the user of that information (Miller 2005:50).

Data Quality

• Data quality is the foundation of information quality.
• The integrity and reliability of data- based analysis and reporting depend largely on the quality of the underlying data.
• Quality control of crime reporting data should begin at local level at the points of data collection, data entry and data processing (Flowerday & Von Solms 2007).
• When the police receive data submissions, an extensive series of data quality checks is run and an incident report is rejected if errors are found.
• The data quality checks include the value type and position within the field, presence of values for mandatory and conditional data elements, use of valid values, duplication if multiple valid values are permitted for a data element, use of logical values and cross-checks between related data elements.

Information and Data Quality Principles

Accuracy

• Information and data quality refers to information and data that conforms to the real world or conceptual items of interest to the user.
• Police data and information should not be fraught with errors because this may increase the amount of repeat victimization (Adelman 1990:31).
• Basic inconsistencies in data and information may reduce data and information quality (Israel & Perry 1990:20).
• Accuracy of data and information is also affected by victim reporting.

Adequacy

• Data and information adequacy refers to having all the required parts or having enough information for decision making.
• Successful crime prevention measures are tailored to specific conditions.
• It is not possible to recommend measures that fit all situations.
• With the help of data and information accuracy, an effective planning process can be achieved.
• Steps recommended for devising an effective crime prevention program:
  • Search for local crime problems, select specific crime problems, analyze the crime problem you have selected and consider a range of possible measures.
  • Identify who will implement the measures.
  • Document the implementation process.
  • Monitor changes in the crime situation over a long period.
  • Evaluate the programme before proceeding with another.

Relevancy

• Relevance is the capacity of data and information to make a difference that identifies it as relevant to a decision.
• Policing in general requires that whatever information is needed for policing purposes must be relevant.
• Information about the suspect must be relevant, and this requirement must be adhered to by law enforcement agencies at all times.

Reliability

• In addition to good citizens reporting suspicious behavior, police may receive tips from fellow officers, criminal informants, anonymous sources or crime information systems.
• The more reliable the source of information, the less independent police investigation is necessary to verify the veracity of the tip or occurrence.
• Law enforcement officers should take the following steps before acting in order to ensure that the information is reliable:
  • Corroborate as much of the informants’ information as possible.
  • Determine how, where, when and under what circumstances the informant obtained the information.
  • Explain the use of the informants’ information in past criminal cases that led to arrests, convictions, seizures and so on.
  • Provide/reveal statements informants made.
  • Identify the informant if it is safe to do so.
  • Ensure that the system was in good condition at the time it was used for a particular purpose.
  • Ensure that the operator is conversant with the workings of the system.

Recorded in Good Time

• The goal is to record the data or information that you intend to use as completely and accurately as possible in your own words.
• When a criminal case is reported/recorded, it has to be attended to as a matter of urgency.
• Timely recording of information or data also assists the victim in stating exactly what happened when the crime was committed without omitting important facts.

Conclusion

• It is clear that making decisions or taking action based on information which is not reliable is very risky and that information which has not been quality controlled is inherently unreliable.

Study Unit 3: Use of Crime Information Systems

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate and discuss how to use crime information systems in order to:
  • Prevent crime
  • Bring offenders to justice
  • Enforce the law

Introduction

• All information is referred to as police information, including intelligence and personal data obtained and recorded for police purposes.
• The purpose of obtaining such information is to enable the police to develop crime prevention strategies and operational plans.
• This ensures that the police are able to protect life and property, preserve order, prevent the commission of offenses, bring offenders to justice, and enforce the law.

Conceptual Analysis

• The information revolution has resulted in faster access to more accurate data.
• Law enforcement agencies need to improve their information systems to better analyze and use data for crime prevention purposes.
• Information systems such as Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), records management, geographical information systems, and mobile computing are very important in this age of information technology.
• Police actions must be consistent with the Constitution, the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, and the Protection of Information Act 84 of 1982.

How to Use Crime Information Systems to Prevent Crime

Crime Prevention

• One of the most reliable crime information systems that is used for crime prevention is the Geographical Information System (GIS).

• In addition to the GIS, the SAPS uses the CAS, business intelligence, special notification questionnaire, docket analysis, surveys and statistical analysis.

• The GIS helps law enforcement agencies to identify potential suspects, increase investigators and crime prevention officers, and assist in developing crime prevention strategies.

• Investigation of Serial Offences

  • Spatial patterns of less serious offenses that often lead to more serious crimes can be examined.

• Prediction of Behavior

  • Based on crime history, models can be developed to predict the behavior of criminals.

• Identification of Suspects

  • Crime data consisting of spatial patterns, suspect information and method of operation characteristics can be combined with arrest locations to provide investigators with a tool to identify potential suspects.

How to Use Crime Information Systems to Preserve Order

• Electronic records enable police officials to gather more information and be better prepared for assignments.
• Electronic records provide evidential value, authenticity and accountability.
• The options to get historical information about an address, person, or vehicle provide police officials with what to expect on assignment.

How to use crime information systems to bring offenders to justice

• In 2002, the South African government launched the Integrated Justice System (IJS) which is aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire criminal justice process.

  • This is done by increasing the probability of successful investigation, prosecution, punishment for priority crimes and ultimately rehabilitation of offenders, as well as using crime information systems to bring the offenders to justice.

• Some of the issues receiving specific attention include the overcrowding of prisons and awaiting-trial prisoner problems, as well as bail, sentencing, and plea bargaining.

E-Justice Program

• The E-Justice Program supports the fundamental reforms necessary to establish a fairer, accessible and efficient justice system in South Africa.

• The program is aimed at reforming and modernising the administration and delivery of justice through re-engineering work processes by using technologies and strengthening strategic planning and management capacity, organisational development and human resources interventions.

Court Performance

• As a service delivery improvement program of the IJS, the Case Flow Management (CFM) Project is aimed at putting in place institutional arrangements for integrated CFM in the court system.

E-Scheduler

• E-Scheduler is one of the most prominent IT innovations of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

• It is used to register criminal case information for the district court environment.

• E-Scheduler provides for daily information capturing, which includes:

  • Case details (case number, name of investigating officer, date reported, first appearance date, relevant charges and remand dates)
  • Details of the accused party
  • Postponement details (the postponement history of the case)

How to Use Crime Information Systems to Enforce the Law

Identify Clusters of Events (Hotspots)

• Crime information systems such as the GIS identify areas that contain dense clusters of events (hotspots).

• GIS allows an analyst to identify all the areas in a police station area where at least five robberies have occurred within a 1 km radius (Osborne & Wernicke 2003:30).

Compare Locations of Hotspots Across Time

• Crime hotspots that have been identified over several months can be displayed at the same time (Centrex 2006:40).

• Allows for the identification of areas with chronic problems and indicates the direction in which a particular crime may be shifting.

Compare Hotspots of Different Crime Types

• Hotspots of different types of offences can be displayed to identify where they overlap.

Conclusion

• The traditional and age-old system of intelligence and criminal record maintenance has failed to live up to the requirements of existing crime scenarios.

• Manual processes neither provide accurate, reliable and comprehensive data around the clock nor help in trend prediction and decision support.

• Systems operators, supervisors and