Implementing GIS into a

Law Enforcement Agency

Training conducted by …

Carolinas Institute for Community Policing

An Educational Partnership Between:

• The US Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing

Services (COPS)
• The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
• Pfeiffer University at Charlotte
• The University of South Carolina at Columbia
• The University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• South Carolina Educational Television

1
Introduction
• Meet the Instructors

• Today’s Goal: To provide an overview of how

Geographic Information Systems “should” be
implemented in police departments.

• Other Details
– Student manual
– Frequency of breaks

2
Meet the Class
• Name
• Agency
• Size of Department
• Role / Responsibilities
• Exposure to GIS
• Expectations

3
 GIS and the
Implementation Process
GIS Enables Technology Integration

• Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD)

• Records Management System (RMS)
• Global Positioning System (GPS)
• Internet
 And Institutional Integration

• Information link between departments in the

same agency or between agencies
• Promote open communication between
partners
– private
– public
– community
• Reduces duplication of effort
TYPES OF GIS

Internet
Enterprise

Intranet Departmental
Project-Based
Project-Based GIS

Cambridge, MA
Enterprise GIS

Chicago:
ICAM
GIS Implementation
 Needs of GIS Users
• Have a list of questions developed to make sure you
get relevant information
• Listen carefully to all concerns/interests and find a
way to address
• Conduct a formal written survey and combine with
GIS development meetings
 Hardware/software Inventory

• What types are currently used?

• What alternatives exist?
• How is data stored?
• How is hardware/software networked?
• Who is currently responsible for
various components?

Determines what hardware/software

is needed.
 Data
• What types are currently used?
• How are data stored?
• Do current data standards exist?
• Who is currently responsible for
maintaining?

What exists and what will need to

be collected?
 Current GIS Applications

• What are the current uses of GIS?

• What types of analysis are currently
taking place?
• What would people like to do?

Ways GIS can support decision-

making process
 Available Resources (Money)

• Which sections/departments have

money for hardware/software
purchase or database development?
• Is it a department-wide effort or even
inter-agency?

Exercise: GIS Implementation Readiness Survey

 Establish Goals and Objectives

Considerations:
Short-term goals
Long-term goals
Audience
Mission statement

Exercises: Identifying Expectations for the GIS

Sample Mission Statements 20
Reasons for Goals and Objectives

Creates direction
Prevents stagnation
Reduces wasted resources
Provides a method of evaluation

21
Where will GIS fit within the Agency?

• Location in organizational structure

– One unit/section
– Within Info Services or Crime Analysis
– Centralized or decentralized
– Civilian and/or sworn
Choosing an Appropriate GIS
Complexity

Spatial Indexing
Serving on the Web

Professional
Systems
Desktop

Cost
What would be the best system?

• Does it have the capability required?

• What is the learning curve?
• Is full cost of implement within budget?
• Is it Internet/Intranet friendly?
• Does it have flexibility for the future?
• Is it compatible with other agencies?
• Will the company support the product?

24
 Data Collection
• What sources are already available?
• Who will create the data?
• Who will maintain the data?
• How often will data be maintained?
• What sources will be used to create the data?
• Who will have access?
– Confidentiality

Exercise: Data Wish List

 Data Process
Database Building
Data Collection
Data Integration

Data Maintenance
On-going On-going
Data Organization
Process Process
Analysis
Transformation to New Information

Information Distribution
Who, How, and When
 Data Quality
• Importance of good data
• Forget/ignore/lose sight of errors in data once
in digital form
• You must determine the level of accuracy and
precision that meet your needs
• Be aware of error in ALL data
– impacts reliability of results
Some Ways to Evaluate Data
• How well does it fit your use?
• Logical consistency (does it pass the
common sense test?)
• Data lineage -- as much detail as possible
• Is there a contact person?
• Were there data standards used?
• What format is it in?
• Date collected? Updated?
US Federal Geographic Data Committee
(FGDC) Metadata Standards

• Provides guidance for documentation of

geographic data
• ‘Data about data’
• Describes content, quality, condition, and
numerous other characteristics of data
(FGDC) Metadata Components
• Identification Information
• Data Quality Information
• Spatial Data Organization Information
• Spatial Reference Information
• Entity & Attribute Information
• Distribution Information
• Metadata Reference Information
 Legal & Ethical Issues
• 28 CFR part 23
– federal regulations governing intelligence data
• Information has value
• Access to information
– privacy & confidentiality vs. Open Records Law &
Freedom of Information Act (federal)
• Information from a GIS may end up as evidence
– assumptions throughout entire process
– must take error into consideration
– sometimes difficult to convey
Acquiring the
GIS System
 Considering Options

• Out-of-box GIS
• Custom GIS Application
• GIS with custom front-end interface
• Outsource GIS as service

Keep current and future needs in mind!

33
GIS Software and Vendors

• Robust / Professional Systems: provide additional functionality and

ability to perform more complex tasks but tend to be less user
friendly than other types of applications and are more expensive
Examples:
– ArcInfo (ESRI)
– GeoMedia Pro (Intergraph)

• Desktop Applications: provide a friendlier user interface and

functionality needed by most users to get started with GIS
Examples:
– ArcView (ESRI)
– Autodesk World (Autodesk)
– GeoMedia (Intergraph)
– MapInfo (MapInfo)
– Maptitude (Caliper) 34
 GIS Software and Vendors (cont.)
• Front-end Application: higher cost than simply purchasing a
desktop GIS but provides a simpler interface to a desktop
application
Example:
– CrimeView (Omega Group)

Demo 35
GIS Software and Vendors (cont.)
• Serving Maps on the Web: high initial investment but easiest way
to distribute GIS to the most people
Examples:
– ArcView Internet Map
Server (ESRI)
– MapObjects / Internet
Map Server (ESRI)
– MapX (MapInfo)

36
Hardware Specifications

Processor / CPU
• the brain of the computer that performs all of the calculations
• speed measured in megahertz
• always buy the fastest the budget can afford
• upgrading is not easy or cost-effective
• contributes to the overall computer speed

RAM (Random Access Memory)

• stores information for the processor to use
• the more RAM that is available, the less time the system will
spend reading and writing information to the hard drive
• additional RAM can be easily added later
• contributes to the overall computer speed

37
Hardware Specifications (cont.)

Storage Space
• GIS data layers can be extremely large which requires a larger
than normal amount of disk space
• storage devices store digital data and allow for quick and easy
data retrieval
– Hard drives: 9 gigabyte or greater recommended
• faster but harder to exchange data
– CD-rom drives: hold a large amount of data and are easy to share
between users
• moderate speed but not always write-capable
– Zip / Jazz drives: removable disk that can store substantial amounts
of data
• slower than hard disk drives but are removable which makes them good
for exchanging large data sets between GIS users

38
Hardware Specifications (cont.)

Monitor
• for GIS, the larger the monitor the better
• smaller monitors make it more difficult to view spatial relationships
for a large geographic area
• be aware that monitor prices increase exponentially as the size
increases

Video Card
• fast redraw times require a system with a good video card and a
substantial amount of RAM
• 16Mb to 32Mb recommended

39
Hardware Specifications (cont.)

Network
• facilitates the exchange of information
• allows multiple users to share data in order to prevent
duplication
• because of large file size, data exchange between computers is
not easy without a network

Backup
• need to implement some means of backing up data
• collection and creation of GIS data can be time consuming which
translates into a large investment
• hardware failure recovery can be expensive when considering
cost of creating GIS data

40
Hardware Specifications (cont.)

Printers
• Black & white printing: allows for easy duplication but limits the
quantity of information that can be displayed on a map
• Color printing: allows for more information to be included on
map but duplication is much more difficult
• Color plotter: allows for printing of large maps (24” x 36”, 36” x
48”)
• Many laser printers can support more than one size of paper
(8.5” x 11”, 8.5” x 14”, 11” x 14”) for producing larger maps
• Memory Issues
– Standard amount of RAM in printer / plotter may not be enough (48
Mb or more may be needed)
– Make sure that you can upgrade

41
 Request for Proposal
(when applicable)

request proposals from companies

(vendors) who can provide the means
to achieve the GIS design

Exercise: Examining an RFP

Elements of an RFP: You Provide

➨ Statement of purpose of project

➨ Detailed description of objectives
➨ Detailed description of how GIS will
integrate with current hardware/software
➨ System and software diagram
➨ Deadline for submission
Elements of an RFP: You Ask For

➨ References
➨ Detailed pricing
➨ Financial statement
➨ Implementation timeline
 The RFP Process

❶ Evaluation Team
❷ Preparation of Request for Proposal (RFP)
❸ Distribution of RFP to companies
❹ Bidder's Meeting -- to clarify the RFP with
potential
❺ Deadline for submission
❻ Evaluation of proposals
❼ Benchmark
❽ Selection

Exercise
 Free Crime
Analysis Products

46
NIJ Funded Crime Analysis Extension

47
SCAS - Spatial Crime Analysis System

48
Expanding the
GIS Horizons

49
Spatial Analyst

50
Network Analyst

51
ArcView Image Analysis

52
3D Mapping
(Oklahoma City on April 19th, 1995)

53
3D Mapping
Urban Topography

54
55
Regional Crime Analysis GIS (RCAGIS)

Contributing Crime Data

• Anne Arundel County
• Baltimore City
• Baltimore County
• Harford County
• Howard County

New Members
• Charles County
• Maryland State Police
• Montgomery County
• Prince Georges County
• Washington, DC
56
 RCAGIS Development Goals
Tools for: Patrol officers
Crime prevention officers
Crime analysts
Managers
Commanders

Flexibility: Add new users and data without additional computer

programming

Easy to use: Menu driven

Automated reports
Promotes analysis
Generate maps and reports in less than one minute

Inexpensive: $100 per PC - MapObjects 2.0

57
58
RCAGIS Reports

59
Automated Vehicle Location (AVL)

60
Consequences Assessment Tool Set (CATS)

Emergency Management Hurricane Bonnie

• Hurricanes/Tropical Storms Damage Bands
– Aug 1993 to Present
– >25 storms
• Earthquakes
– Northridge, California
– Kobe

Northridge, California
Earthquake Damage Bands
61
CATS: Accident Response and Assessment

62
CATS: Terrorist Response

63
 Putting It
All Together
 Where to Go for Help

• Universities
• Community Colleges
• Other city/county agencies
• Vendors
• Military
• Non-profits

Exercise: Technology Resources

Need More Money?

Alternative Funding Sources:

• Federal
– National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
– Department of Justice COPS Office
• State
– Department of Justice
– Governor’s Crime Commission
• Local
– Private Endowments / Foundations
• Vendors
• Partner with Other Agencies

66
Implementation Challenges
• Overemphasis on technology
• Resistance to change, taking place within an
existing organizational structure
– Change requires leadership
– GIS could be considered a paradigm shift within
an organization
Overcoming Obstacles

• Technical / Data Issues

• Ignorance
• Funding
• Training
• Organizational / Political Issues
• Legal / Ethical Issues
• Needs Assessment

68
Strategies to Facilitate Success

• Cultivate a GIS ‘champion’ to sponsor

• Management involvement (top down
support)
• Training and education
• GIS responsive to needs of end-user
• Define GIS mission, goals, objectives in
a GIS plan
Strategies to Facilitate Success

• Create a GIS demo

– both digital and paper form
• GIS workgroup
• ‘Open door’ policy
• Informal discussions
• Formal presentations
Implementation Process: GIS Outcome

GOOD
Outcome
More Thought More Investment

Undesired Outcome
Fast Cheap