Chicago Police Department information technology needs assessment

¶ … information system employed by the Chicago Police Department. It examines a large number of technologies that the Chicago Police Department implements. This study assesses and analyzes the information technology needs of the Chicago Police Department. It explores a recommendation for the Chicago Police Department to grow and meet new information system requirements.

Needs Assessment & Analysis

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) employs a large number of technologies. According to CPD (2007), the CPD "is recognized as an international leader for its use of technology." The CPD (2007) reported, "Today [2007]the Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting suite of applications (CLEAR), remains the largest transaction police database in the nation."

The Chicago Police Department Information Services Division release a 2007 Technology Update to describe its the information systems and applications employed by the police department. Some of these information technologies, referred to as the 2007 Technology Bundle hereafter, included the following: Advanced License Plate Readers (ALPRs), Automated Incident Reporting Applications (AIRA), Blackberry Devices, CLEAR-Tip, CLEAR-Map, Crime Scene Reporting, District Intelligence Bulletin System (DIBS), Enhanced Name Check, in-Car Cameras and Video. The CPD (2007) describes each of these technologies.

• ALPRs represent " a new server software application [that allows] the mapping and tracking of read plates through the Department intranet (CPD, 2007)." The ALPR assisted officers "in recovering more than 658 stolen vehicles and making 292 arrests [within nine months]."

• the AIRA allows "all data entered by an officer [to go] directly to the Automated Arrest Database."

• "The new Blackberry devices allow enhanced capability for (I-CLEAR) searches [and] advanced mug shot look-ups."

• "The CLEARTip application records and shares crime information tips" the application "saves Detectives from having to sort through paper work while trying to correct information."

• "CLEAR-Map integrates alerts into a comprehensive new public crime mapping tool that also provides the ability to search for crimes and crime alerts by address, beat, park, and save community area."

• "The Crime Scene Reporting application automates paper crime scene reports for the Chicago Police Forensic Services Division."

• "The District Intelligence Bulletins System (DIBS) is a web-based application that utilizes various data sources to provide an enforcement road map, including District-based intelligence that assists in enforcement citation."

• "The Enhanced Name Check system goes beyond standard have check features and provide an automated search for: Arrests, Warrants-both Adult and Juvenile, Investigative Alerts, Sex Offender Database entry and Missing Persons."

• in 2007, the Department planned to "install in-car cameras into an additional 280 squad cars, at a cost of $2.2 million."

B. Needs

The CPD has the following needs.

• Current technologies, deployed by the CPD assert a high level of effectiveness. Expect the CPD to maintain and continue to enhance the 2007 Technology Bundle.

• Expect an increase in the availability of hardware devices. For example the Santa Barbara Police Department, "utilizes 150 desktop PCs, 6 notebooks, 47 mobile data computers, 16 handheld parking computers, 32 laser printers, and a myriad of other peripheral equipment that includes scanners, cameras, plotters, and printers (the City of Santa Barbara, 2013)." To ensure the CPD personnel utilizes newly software applications similar hardware should be available. In addition, expect an in-car camera increase, to expand "an effort to protect officers from unwarranted complaints (CPD, 2007)."

• Expect an increase in the availability of hardware devices based on any increase in system or application users. Consider the hardware users for Santa Barbara in a parallel comparison: The Santa Barbara "population includes all full-time employees and also includes Reserve Officers, volunteers, Explorers, temporary employees, and a small number of users that work at other city, county, and state departments that have access to portions of our systems."

• Expect an increase in capacity for data storage. With an expected increase in population, the CPD can expect a larger pool of transactional data for recording and updating.

• Expect a need for new software development and software integrations. To continue to improve its information technology program, the CPD will continue to develop new software to expand on mapping systems, statistical analysis of crimes, and police activity reporting. Furthermore, with a growing number of software applications, certain software integrations will become necessary to seamlessly access information and connect to a centralized database.

C. Need Analysis Process

The process for need analysis contained a few steps, as follows. (1) Assess the state of the CPD's information technology services and program. (2) Examine CPD's advancements or new technological developments. (3) Assess the CPD's software needs. (4) Assess the CPD's hardware needs. (5) Forecast according to growth in population and system user-ship. (6) Benchmark other police departments' information system needs in other geographical locations.

II. System Evaluation

B. System Strength and Weaknesses

The CPD's information system by far has an elaborate quantity of strengths. It allows personnel to access and process information swiftly, and work effectively. The CPD information system is scalable, extremely comprehensive but granular. One weakness about the system is its complexity and large size: it requires a lot of maintenance and significant architectural changes could be very laborious.

C. Recommendations

The CPD should look to use its current information system as a foundation for future developments. The CPD should augment its software applications already in place, and look to develop new software that will easily integrate with these core software applications. The CPD should also look to continue to furnish all personnel with hardware already in use.

Reference

CPD. (2013). A brief time history of the chicago police department. Retrieved from https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About CPD/History

CPD. (2007). Technology update: staying ahead of the curve. Retrieved from https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/News/Department

Publications/TechUpdate07.pdf

City of Santa Barbara. (2013). Information technology . Retrieved from http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Departments/Police/police_information_technology