The Stages of Technological Advancement in Policing

• Soulliere’s stages of technological advancement:

  • The first stage (1881-1945): Mobile patrol, radio communications, telephone communications

  • The second stage (1946-1959): Traffic violation detection instruments

  • Third stage (1960-1979): 911, centralized dispatch, civilian specialists, research and development organizations, computer age begins

  • Fourth stage (1980-present): Telecommunications advances, mobile data communications, expert systems, imaging, biometrics, GIS

Crime Analysis

• Crime analysis: The analysis of people involved in crimes, particularly repeat offenders, repeat victims, and criminal organizations

• Essential criteria for criminal analysis:

  • Timeliness: Things being done at a good time

  • Relevancy: When two things are closely connected.

  • Reliability: When something is consistent and trustworthy.

Strategic Crime Analysis

• Strategic crime analysis: The study of crime in the community as well as problem-solving.

• Crime Trend forecasting: Predicting crime before it occurs.

Tactical Crime Analysis:

• Tactical crime analysis: Examining data to find patterns and leads for recent criminal activity.

• Pattern detection: Ability to find characteristics that are systematic.

• Linkage analysis: Detecting chromosomes in disease genes.

Geomapping Crime Patterns: Moving Beyond Push Pins

• Geographic information systems (GIS): A computer system that analyzes and displays geographically referenced information

• Crime mapping: Putting crime on a map and identifying the correlation between both crime and location.

• Geocoded: Transfering a location such as an address or coordinates into a surface on the earth.

• Causation: The reason an action happens (cause)

• Correlation: The relationship between two variables

• GIS Crime Mapping

  • Mapping incident types and MO

  • Mapping characteristics of victims and suspects

• CompStat: This manages performances and reduces crime

• Elements of CompStat

  • Specific objectives

  • Accurate and timely intelligence

  • Effective tactics

  • Deployment of personnel and resources

  • Follow-ups and assessments

• Pattern Identification Modules (PIMs): Each borough of New York City has developed groups made up of housing, transportation, patrol, detective, organized crime, and robbery squads to evaluate daily index crime statistics and identify crime clusters or patterns that need to be addressed for CompStat Meetings.

• Tactics: Methods for addressing the data on crime patterns

• Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc (ESRI): Creates cutting-edge and useful geographic information systems (GIS) for the public and business sectors.

• Geographic Profiling: Using geography, psychology, and math to find criminals.

• Nearness principle: Criminals will usually commit crimes in the same general area.

• Rigel: Computerized geographic profiling that has statistical analyses, GIS, and management functions to further the process of investigative suggestions

21st Century Technologies in Policing

• Record management systems (RMS): Manages large amounts of data of a particular organization or offender.

• Closed Circuit Television: A system of cameras recording actions in both private and public settings for the purpose of security

• Global Positioning Systems: Satelite technology that allows us to track patrol cars, stolen vehicles, or even find people.

• Biometrics: Helps identify people quickly based on their characteristics:

  • Facial recognition software: Recognizes facial features of a person through videos or CCTV cameras to identify them.

  • Finger identification systems: Using fingerprints to help identify a person.

• Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN): Computer-based communication that allows state, federal, and local departments to share information.

• Mobile digital communications: Nonverbal communication between communication centers and patrol

• Automatic vehicle monitoring: Enhances officer safety as well as accountability, allows tracking of patrol vehicles, or not a car door has been left open.

• 311 System: Calls that do not require emergency assistance should call here.

• 911 System: Calls that do require immediate emergency service should call here.

• Advanced Generation of Interoperability for Law Enforcement (AGILE): Prototype system that improves communication across law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies within a jurisdiction

• Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS): Database that facilitates the sharing of information among San Diego and neighboring criminal justice agencies