Incident/Crime Type Management

[Steve Magruder]

Hello,

I'm a software developer with a company that is developing a records managements system (RMS) for police agencies. We're currently in the middle of gathering requirements for handling crime types, attaching them to incidents and correlating them to UCR reporting.

Does anyone know of any resources (esp. people, but also could be documentation) who I could look up and ask some requirements questions that have tended to be difficult to answer? I already have access to FBI documentation on UCR reporting, but we esp. need info on how incidents are reported in various states and how incident/crime types are correlated to UCR codes in those cases.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Regards,
Steve

[Sparky]

Steve,

God Bless you for trying!

Keeping good, objective stats is a challenge because you have so many different systems in place. It would be great if someone came out with some software that wrapped up all the loose ends!

I've had to do research before on the incidence of certain crimes across geographical areas and over time. The problem comes in to this:

1. calls recieved

How do you keep track of multiple calls on the same incident? How do you classify the nature of the call? One person calls in suspcious noises, another shots fired, and another calls in a fight in progress- all to the same address.

Or five people call in a Domestic Disturbance but when officers get there, they find out it's a disturbance between a landlord and a tennant. How do you consolidate this with the calls received and link it to the offense report and arrest report?

2. reports taken

Often, reports are not taken. So how do you keep track of minor incidents where an officer did not take a report?

If a report IS taken, offiecrs may file it as a "Theft", when it is actually a "Burglary".

3. cases cleared by arrest

What about all those Peeping Tom reports being investigated that ens up in a Burglary arrest of an individual who is suspected to be the Peeping Tom? (Peeping to scout for homes to break into.)

4. number of persons arrested

And what about multiple arrests? Say a burglary committed by five people? Is that reported as five Burglaried cleared by arrest?

5. number of charges arrested for

We often charge people with multiple offenses? Someone may be charged with two or three assaults involving the same incident.

Anyway...just some brief things I've run into over the years.

This stuff should be fairly easy to keep track of with a rather basic database application and validated offense codes.

Then you've got the needs of Investigative Case Management, tracking the prosecution, etc. etc.

I'd be happy to help you in any way I can. I have yet to see a RMS or IMS for LE that really did what it needed to. E-mail me if you would like.

[Ray]

In NC this agency is responsible for maintaining and collecting that information.

NC State Bureau of Investigation
Division of Criminal Information
3320 Garner Rd.
Raleigh, NC 27626-0500
919-662-4500