Police Response to Prevent Crime and create a Safe City

CLEAR is a practice recognized as one of the most innovative application of technology by the police in USA. It has won the 2007 ‘The Innovations in American Government Awards’ and has subsequently emerged as one of the most informative, responsive and enforcement oriented police practice in Chicago. Chicago police Department (CPD) is now an international leader in applying technology for the use of citizens safety and well being.

Location: CLEAR is located in the technology wing of  CPD Headquarters in Chicago. The visit to this department was arranged by the CPD Team composed of their Sergeant, Captain and the  Civilian administrator in collaboration with the CUPPA of University of Illinois, Chicago. The room from where the police department was monitoring the city, thefts, mugging, shooting, vehicles monitoring etc was not too big but had huge LCD sets connected to the cameras around the city which continuously sent visual information being monitored in this room by a minimum of eight  police officers at a time. While we were there I could see a known car being towed away from the road across the CPD which was wrongly parked. I knew this car as the driver of the car had shown me the way to CPD gate.

What is the innovation within CLEAR?

  The formulators of this programme show the immense professional interdisciplinary coordination between the police, technology engineers  and civilian departments. While Universities are participating in its planning along with engineers and technology companies , some donors like MacArthur Foundation has also played a role in funding for technology.

 It has developed the programme through a series of exchanges on global policy issues and local challenges. It is primarily a law enforcement practice and has enormously helped in making crime detection a scientific and a data base exercise. The concept used is that of data-driven  crime mapping and builds on it to gather, store, cross-reference and retrieve a massive amount of information about crime, criminals and  criminal justice activity. It also It is a fantastic data base for lawyers, Crime prevention citizen groups and the police all over the country. CPD was quite open about demonstrating their techniques and methodology in pursuing their law enforcement activities through CLEAR and it brought out some insightful arrangements in crime prevention.

(Formore information contact: )
Jonathan Lewin,
E-Email-jonathan.lewin@chicagopolice.org,
www.chicagopolice.org,
Commander, Information Services Division.
Chicago Police Department, 3510 South Michigan Avenue, 3^rd Floor, Chicago IL, 60653)

Are there any accomplishments under CLEAR? 

1. Automated License plate Recognition Devices have been the most resounding success
2. District Intelligence Bulletin System (DIBS) which now use the multiple data sources have enhanced capacities of the district administration.
3. New processors have improved CLEAR performance.
4. Name search capability has been enhanced .
5. Fast fibre optic network has brought all districts, academy and Homan Square to visibility.
6. Arrest has become automated throughout the city.
7. New portable Data Terminal (PDT) , roll outs continue faster than before.
8. In car cameras have been installed in more than 3 units now.
9. Video Conferencing is taking place at a regular pace in all districts.

Strong Features of CLEAR which can be replicated by Police Departments across the world:

1. ALPRs: Armed licensed plate readers equipped vehicles of police scan thousands of license plates per hour. More than 15 vehicles across the city have ALPRs now.The system helped the officers recover more than 658 stolen vehicles and 292 arrests during 209 missions in the past nine months. As a vehicle approaches the PDT presents to them owner identification, stolen vehicle status, Amber alerts, warrant information and investigative alerts.
   
   
2. AIRA : Automated incident reporting application has helped the whole state of Illinois to enter into a partnership for recording of arrests and weakening the criminals which dupe the police force by crossing borders. It has also led to cost cut arrangements. It is supported by Blackberry Devices which has recently been rolled out through Sprint 8703( service provider) &  Blackberry emails to   Department Command and support staff.
   
   
3. Chicago Police Blog: The blog is called the “ Checker Board Chat” Blog which provides information and featured stories of the success of CLEAR.
   
   
4. CLEAR ACCESS: It is now in use in more than 411 police departments and online agencies of police.It has 17,008 users from criminal justice agencies using CLEAR on a regular basis to cross check crime information and records of criminals.
   
   
5. CLEAR-Tip: This has come as a support to detectives and investigation agencies trying to look for a crime without an evidence or a previous motivation which suggests a guideline for their search. One such crime recently cracked by CPD was near the West Loop area. It is also used by the State of Illinois and Cook County’s Crime Stoppers for record keeping. Many of the cases for solving murders  in the city have also been attended to by CLEAR-Tip.
   
   
6. CLEAR Map In short , it is a system which locates by addresses, geography and community area the system of public crime mapping.For the first time the Police Observation Device (POD) locations are integrated into the mapping along with digital aerial photography.
   
   
7. Crime Stoppers: This is a result of a partnership of police with a non-profit organization called Cook County Crime Stoppers. By bringing together citizens, law enforcement agencies, businesses and the media to fight felony level crime, the department has fostered useful connections with the community which has brought sustainability to the innovation. A  cash reward has also been instituted for reporting callers.
   
   
8. Crime Scene Reporting: Thishas enhanced capabilities of the Police Forensic services division. As the evidence technicians record evidence collected at the crime scene such as bullets, blood, photographs, fingerprints etc and enter into a system. There are drop down menus for selection of evidence types over which identification labels are affixed. This integrates into CPDs Evidence Syayem known as e-Track as well as the Illinois State Forensic System
   
   
9. Crime prevention and information Centre : This has enormous personnel and disciplinary arrangements to achieve a trained, committed and responsive police personnel. Techniques in operation are
   
   

a)      Daily attendance and assignment records.

b)      Deploying schedule application

c)      District intelligence bulletin system

d)      Early intervention detection system

e)      Enhanced name check

f)        Exchange migration information

g)      Plate recognition

h)      Firearms training and certification system

i)        Gang book

Lessons learnt: 

Mayor Richard M.Daley of the City of Chicago remarked-- “ The intelligence (gathering ) is the key. CLEAR has transcended all traditional arrangements which fed corruption, apathy and lack of accountability amongst police force through enhanced intelligence support to the police department.”

David Sobezyk , Commander. Deployment Operations Centre observes “ This nationwide access to other intelligence hubs provides Chicago with a better means to interpret prevailing threat levels and provide commensurate protective measures.”

 Considering the use of newer technologies in criminal activities and also the intricacies of law and evidentiary requirements it has become extremely important that the following points of successful and sustainable implementation of the CLEAR need to be adopted by police at other places also;

a)Partnership of police, citizens, businesses , media and non-profit groups as an a priori requirement for criminal reporting and criminal justice systems.

b)Continuous updating of technology on the basis of reporting from partmers.

c)  Access to all and open systems approach to information by police departments

d)  Instant coordination amongst administrative agencies for crime control and sharing tips about a crime report. 

What is most important is the fact that these should emerge alongside the knowledge society which the world is graduating into. The above four points have many embedded lessons for police and criminal justice systems across the world.