Application of information technology (IT) to optimize police departments' performance to reduce crime
The rate of technological change has greatly transformed the way police departments handle their police operations. Police agencies that widely apply Information technologies in policing, have information incentives over those who go set out for patrols.
The application of technology to solve criminal puzzles has eased police work in a great way. Currently, computer technologies and applications help solve forensics from the crime scenes of many cold cases . Advanced DNA profiling on computer technology platform effectively assist in singling out subjects, making connections to a serial crime and helping clear names of innocent parties. Other important IT related technologies e.g. ballistics and fingerprint technology form part of the increasingly employed technologies at fighting crimes.
Computer mapping technology has altered the manner in which investigations are carried out. For instance, the Austin police department has positioned itself at the front line of technology as far as fighting crime goes. Besides implementing a GIS, the APD blends in its neighborhood watch, a policing program with the GIS technology. The system works much better when compared to deploying patrol officers on stakeouts aimed monitoring criminal activities that are have a likelihood of happening in the society.
For instance, the APD GIS mapping technology allows officers to man a huge area of jurisdiction from the comfort of their stations. The GIS puts on view a specific physical location accompanied by its character. This makes it easier for officers to single out inconsistent characteristics within the zone under surveillance and thus helps to identify any criminal activities within the area. Crime mapping techniques are employed in a bid to determine when and specific location where crimes are taking place.
In contrast, police patrolling requires the use of hunches and tips about the possible locations of criminal activities. Patrolling requires lots of manpower that is deployed to specific areas. The officers may operate undercover for weeks and months trying to blend in with the aim of studying the way of life of the people there. Police have to depend on spies and informants to get Intel on particular criminal activities or individuals. Most informants will ask for money in exchange for information and this makes patrolling an expensive policing method. GIS provide accurate and current data that pin points the specific area of criminal activities. It requires lesser man power since only one officer is required to check on any criminal or unusual activities at the comfort of his/her office.
GIS public surveillance allows police department to monitor large areas in a very short period of time. This, therefore, gives police officers more time in order to effectively analyze crime. On the contrary, police patrol missions are based on hunches. The officers may devote most of their time at cranking out criminal report than they spend at solving the crimes. GIS offers several quick tracking techniques such as: the locations of victim release, suspect attack locations and the travelling routes, all of which are channeled on a map display. Mapping helps officers to easily identify the most frequently used routes by criminals. Patrolling depends wholly on an officer’s memory precision and judgment abilities.
With GIS technology, police are able to single out potential criminal targets to the extent of even estimating the possible strike hours and future possible hits . This gives the officers an information heads-up and thus assists them to be more prepared to handle the hit more precisely. Patrolling is more of a wait-and-see method. Officers walk into a crime scene oblivious of its existence and most times miss the actual location.
COMPSTAT, as an information system (IS), implements the four (4) basic IS functions:
The information system was first introduced to New York City Police department NYPD in 1994 by Police Commissioner William Bratton. Since then, the information system has been led to the decrease in criminal cases and an improvement in the people’s quality of life. Owing to its successful implementation, the information system has diffused across the US and is widely accepted as a crime focused information system.
COMPSTAT is a fully qualified information system. It exhibits all the traits of a successful information system. The software synthesizes crime analysis, manipulates data and gives output. The main basic information system function is input. This could be closely linked to COMPSTAT’s code. This is possible because at the heart of every activity, is the use of statistical data generated using a computer. The information generated must be of high quality. This data must be accurate and as current as possible; if need be it should be real time data.
The next information system function i.e. processing, closely relates to effective policing tactics. This is because, after the acquisition of timely and accurate data, the information system user must create crime solving strategies from the data input that assists in solving crimes. During the processing phase, data gets manipulated and converted into useful information.
The third information system function i.e. output, may be linked to the process of rapid deployment. Once a security issues has been singled out and a strategic plan put in place, the information system user must execute the crafted plan to yield output; in this case crime reduction. With regards to feedback, follow up action must be done in order to ensure that all the processes are functioning according to the laid down plan and that crime has be solved.
Information systems applied in policing e.g. COMPSTAT have eased the tough tasks police face in the field and enabled them to respond faster to such crimes owing to information incentives. It could be argued that COMPSTAT has significantly improved the police approach to solving crime puzzles.
With regards to SWOT analysis, one of the main strengths of the system would be the reliability of its processes. Past implementations of the system have greatly motivated police officers in the course of doing their jobs. The system has proven to be reliable in solving crimes since its implementation has seen crime cases reduce significantly.
The system’s probable weakness would be its susceptibility to human fraud and corruption. Some unscrupulous officers may misrepresent the quality and credibility of input that goes into the information system. Vices such as wrong classification of crimes, understating losses incurred at a crime scene so that such crimes are dropped on basis of insignificance etc.
With regards to opportunities, COMPSTAT would greatly transform the way current day crimes are solved. Since it is a computer platform technology, it is compatible with many current computer systems and potentially compatible with future operating systems and can, therefore, be used for a sustainably long time.
The information system may, however, be faced by the common threat of cyber hackers. There exist very few information systems that can be termed as hacker proof and, therefore, the information system may be susceptible to hackers who may alter the information in its database.
Bibliography
Gascón, G. (2013). COMPSTAT Plus. LAPD Online .
Paul D. Schultz, C. o. (2008). The Future Is Here: Technology in Police Departments. The PoliceChief Magazine .
Zucker, S. (2013). Using Computer Technology to Solve Cold Cases . NCSTL .
