Predictive Policing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Predictive Policing - Research Paper Example Information technology to reduce crime Vs random patrols Reports indicate that the application of information technology greatly assists police departments to take proactive measures against future crimes and thereby reduce crime rates. The recidivism rate for parolees, probationers, and sex offenders is on the rise in the United States and this issue has generated intense public scrutiny. Currently, the US police departments widely use advancements in information technology to optimize their performance and thereby reduce crime rates. Application of Global positioning system or GPS is currently used as an effective way to reduce the rate of recidivism. As Navarro (2007) points out, in Florida, micro global positioning chips are implanted in the body of child sexual predators to monitor them continuously. In addition, micro GPS chips are also used to accurately map the location of parolees and probationers so as to prevent them from committing crimes in future. A network of databases containing historical crime data has been established in the US for enabling police departments to get faster access to past crime information. This system improves the communication between police departments across the country and this strong policing network reduces crimes rates to a great extent. Similarly, application of information technology is of great help for police departments to reduce random patrol of the streets. As discussed earlier, the development of GPS greatly benefited the police to reduce random patrolling.... The satellite based radar system and surveillance camera systems aid US police departments to monitor streets from control rooms. To illustrate, traffic rule violations including over speed and signal jumping are captured and recorded by radar and surveillance camera systems and hence the law violators are identified using their vehicles’ registration numbers. The radar systems are also helpful to observe gangsters and other problem makers. In short, IT assists police departments to prevent crimes effectively without random patrol of the streets. IS functions of COMPSTAT Input, processing, output, and feedback are the four basic IS functions of COMPSTAT, a law enforcement crime fighting strategy adopted by the New York City Police Department. Four IS functions Four COMPSTAT principles Input Accurate and timely intelligence Processing Effective tactics Output Rapid deployment Feedback Relentless follow-up and assessment (Source: Godown, 2009) As the input, computer generated an d other statistical data are collected and gathered timely to present in various formats such as charts, maps, and graphs at COMPSTAT meetings. The process is initiated by timely given accurate information and data. At the primary level, â€Å"information is gathered from an agency’s statistical archives on crimes and arrests† and which is produced to the U. S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting program (Godown, 2009). At the processing stage, effective tactics are developed to manage a particular situation. Once the staff officers are provided with timely and accurate information, they have to design, develop, and implement crime management policies and action plans