Predictive policing discovers new or previous unknown patterns and trends of crime. Predictive policing not only need help of the apartment but also help from the community and their trust in reducing crime (Perusal, 2010). It's really not all about being a "snitch" but being an informant who cares about the predicament of the neighborhood.
Application of IT The application of IT introduces itself as helping in reducing crime or is it minimizing the use of random patrols of the street. Information technology helps in both ways.Information technology helps in reducing crime because as I stated earlier it targets the "hot spots" of crime that occur each and every day. It only narrows down different areas of the community.
By the use of information technology such as COMPOSTS and I-JAR and other programs, it provides decision-making within the police departments on how to gather more man power to actually focus on the hot spots. Police officers still have to patrol the streets regardless of trying to mainly focus on where crimes are actually being committed and the person who is committing the crime.There are many hot spot that should be looked at every day because people lives are at stake when a crime takes place. In the beginning, Officers of the law normally goes Off hunch as to where crime s being committed and the location where it may occur but with the help of COMPOSTS being able to directly say where the crime is located (Goode, 2011).
There has been symposiums based off predictive policing and the symposiums analyze the use of technology by summarizing crime annually, then it started to become monthly and then weekly but eventually crime was summarized in real time ( Predictive Policing Symposium, 2010).The use of information technology will never replace random street patrol but to help it because for example the use of license plate reader (IT) at local crime hot spots. The license plate reader is there to locate stolen vehicles that may link to fugitives or criminal suspects (Copper et al, 2013). The difference in using information technology to reduce crime versus random street patrol is that when using information technology to reduce crime it's based off statistics. Rather than using information technology for random street patrol it goes off decision making strategies.
Four IS Functions The four basic information functions that implements COMPOSTS is Input, Processing, Output and Feedback (Turban & Volition, 2011). COMPOSTS four principles are Accurate and Timely Intelligence, Effective Tactics, Rapid Deployment and Relentless Follow-Up and Assessment. Accurate and Timely Intelligence is compared to Input because of data information. The data information should always be timely and accurate as possible.
The data and information of each crime is collected and input into a computer system to keep a record of.The main documentation of data is the crime and incident reports that should be completed accurately and timely by first responders and then transferred to the agency's records management before being stored in the COMPOSTS process (Goodwin, 2014). Secondly, Processing and Effective Tactics intertwine together because police officers transform the data by creating, developing and implement crime reduction strategies. By developing crime reduction strategies to reduce crime one resource could be the help of the community.
It will help minimize crime or risk management (Goodwin, 2014).Thirdly, Output and Rapid Development also intertwine because once all the data is collected stored and a plan has been met then the plan should be put into action. All of the information that is given for the data should be put into action because it will alp in targeting the hot spots and starting to make the neighborhoods feel safe again. Rapid development affects the problem before it starts to shift (Goodwin, 2014).
Lastly, Feedback and Relentless Follow-up and Assessment are the same because it gives back information that is reliable.The COMPOSTS processes manage for results by crime statistics. Both also measures the agency's ability to manage internal mechanisms of how they produce the information and what did it take for them to do it (Goodwin, 2014). IT and Crime Prevention Information systems have allowed police departments that implements tool s such as COMPOSTS to respond to crime faster because of how powerful the information is.
COMPOSTS provides all type of data that can be used to respond to crime faster because COMPOSTS provides information that target certain areas in the community.By COMPOSTS providing that type of statistical information it gives police officers time to conduct plans to execute and respond to each area where crime are mostly likely occur. By using COMPOSTS police officer can set up time to get to each hot spot and stake out then apprehend offenders who are committing crime. SOOT Analysis The SOOT Analysis implements Predictive Policing by analyzing each component of how predictive policing affects the police departments. The first component is the strengths of predictive policing.
A considerable strength of predictive policing is that the neighborhoods are becoming safer. The next strength of predictive policing is that of the reliable sources. Crime reduction is also a component of strength when predictive policing is applied. The second component is weakness.
The weakness of predictive policing is that of the people manipulating the system. If the people doesn't help with reducing crime such as filing reports of what crime is being taken place then police officers doesn't know how to hinder crime.Some police departments rely on the people in the community to help with knowing what goes on in the community. Also it may not be enough man power to monitor every area where crime is taken place (Goode, 2011). The third component is opportunities of predictive policing. Predictive policing has a lot of opportunities such as the system (software) improvement to better implement plans in the future to reduce crime.
Basically finding more ways on how to reduce crime over years to come since crime is rapidly expanding each day.
