Software To Aid Crime Tracking
A $3 million computer system will enable law enforcement authorities to file accident reports electronically, determine crime patterns immediately, and decipher victim information by race. Numerous emergency agencies in Minnehaha County, S.D., intend to employ the system, which became operational on Sept. 27.
Known as the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, the system will permit law enforcement to follow crimes and locate trends, including race-based crimes.
The system was financed with $400,000 from Minnehaha County, $400,000 from the city of Sioux Falls, and a $2.25 million COPS grant presented to the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department.
When the system is completely operational, police officers will be able to use the laptop computers in their cars to submit accident reports, as opposed to doing them by hand now.
The CAD system will also be able to decide which agencies should respond to emergencies by checking to see if there are other risks connected with a location. In addition, the system will permit agencies to find the precise location of cell phone calls.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Argus Leader (11/16/04) P. 1A; Williams, John-John IV; Tucker, Denise .
