Compstat

Predictive Policing

By JaKedrick Pearson

Professor Darlene Ringhand

CIS 500

January 20, 2013

Predictive Policing

Information technology (IT) is defined as the application of computers and telecommunications to the collection, processing, storage, and dissemination of voice, graphics, text, and numerical information (Tansey, 2003, p. 3). IT is generally thought to be a computer-based field, but it has evolved into technologies such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other handheld devices. The IT field has evolved so much throughout the past decades that almost every facet of society relies on some form of information technology. For example, a trip to the local library required use of the card catalog. One would look up the book needed, write the information on a piece of paper and start the search for the book. Walk into the average library today several computers can be used to search for that same book by tying in the author’s name or possibly the subject area one is looking to study. That example can be substituted throughout the institutions on society, even law enforcement. There was a time when a patrolman pulled over a traffic violator; a phone call was made to a central desk in order to verify driver’s license or auto insurance information. Today, however, the police officers can gather that information by simply inputting the license plate number in a database and that information is readily available. Within the law enforcement field, IT is now being used as what is called predictive policing. In this paper, the effect of IT based solutions verses the random street patrols. COMPSTAT as an information system will be evaluated. Lastly, this paper will evaluate how information systems, such as COMPSTAT, have allowed law enforcement officials to respond to the scene of crimes faster.

Like many businesses, police can use a data analysis to help make their work more efficient.  This strategy is called...