COPS Publications
311 for Non-Emergencies: Helping Communities Once Call at a Time, COPS Fact Sheet, August 2003
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), August 2003. Fact sheet detailing COPS funding history for 311 call systems.
Call Management and Community Policing: A Guidebook for Law Enforcement, July 2003
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), July 2003. Using practical examples from police agencies around the country, this guidebook focuses on police call management strategies, such as 311 call systems, and their relationship to community policing.
Crime Analysis and Crime Mapping Information Clearinghouse
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Forty-nine page bibliography of crime mapping resources.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Fall 2004. The Crime Mapping Newsletter is a quarterly publication of the Police Foundation supported by COPS Office funding. It provides articles and examples of mapping and crime analysis on a wide variety of topics ranging from terrorism to evaluation of crime mapping software products. The Newsletter currently has an international distribution of over 4,000 individuals interested in crime mapping and law enforcement analysis.
Geocoding in Law Enforcement, Final Report, August 2000
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), August 2000. This report defines and outlines geocoding and its uses in law enforcement. It also overviews how the software is used specifically to access information about a geographic location.
GJXDM Law Enforcement Information Exchange Package Workshop Report
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), March 2005. The publication of law enforcement Information Exchange Packages (IEPs), produced by SEARCH and funded by the COPS Office, provides tangible models and GJXDM content that can be used by local law enforcement agencies pursuing data interoperability and can support information sharing about crimes and offenders throughout the U.S. This report provides information on the workshops which led to the development of these IEPs.
Guidelines to Implement and Evaluate Crime Analysis and Mapping in Law Enforcement, October 2000
This article describes how crime mapping should be used as a problem-solving analysis tool by outlining goals and data sources. (NCJ 190383)
Information Exchange Package Documentation
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), March 2005. Information Exchange Package Documentation can significantly help local law enforcement agencies by providing good baseline models for GJXDM conformant information exchange. The COPS Office funded SEARCH to develop this first set of reference IEPDs for law enforcement, which includes an Incident Report, a Field Interview Report, a Booking Report, and a Charging Document.
Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project (ISTEP), January 2003
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), January 2003. The Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project document examines the uses of information technology and its application to community policing in America. It documents the information technology planning and acquisition processes, while contrasting the various applications of the technology to community policing in five police organizations. (NCJ 194045)
Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project: ISTEP Phase II Case Studies, November 2003
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), November 2003. This series of case studies continues the work started in the original Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project. Each case study examines the uses of information technology and its application to community policing in America. It documents the information technology planning and acquisition processes, while contrasting the various applications of the technology to community policing in four police organizations around four areas (COMPSTAT, School Safety, Prostitution and Auto Theft).
Integrating Community Policing and Computer Mapping, February, 2000
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), February 2000. The Police Foundation has provided technical assistance to agencies funded by the COPS Office to help them overcome problems in implementing computer mapping, and to facilitate their ongoing use of crime mapping in community policing and problem solving.
Introductory Guide to Crime Analysis and Mapping, November 2001
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), November 2001. The article details map interpretation and problem-solving using crime mapping software. (NCJ 194685)
ISTEP Guide (Links to Conceptual Framework and Case Studies), April 1999
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), April 1999. This series of case studies continues the work started in the original Information Systems Technology Enhancement Project. Each case study examines the uses of information technology and its application to community policing in America. It documents the information technology planning and acquisition processes, while contrasting the various applications of the technology to community policing in four police organizations.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), 2002. This user-friendly guidebook offers law enforcement agencies tools and resources to successfully achieve their IT goals. It highlights best practices in strategic IT planning and procurement, and reveals pitfalls to avoid. (NCJ 197106)
Local Law Enforcement Responds to Terrorism: Lessons in Prevention and Preparedness
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), April 2002. This publication describes technological advancements designed and used by police agencies across the country to address the threat of terrorism. Topics covered include crime mapping, data sharing, and 311 call systems.
Managing Citizen Calls to the Police: An Assessment of Non-Emergency Call Systems, October 2001
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), October 2001. This report reveals the results of a COPS-funded study examining the impact of the non-emergency call systems, including 311. Case studies include Baltimore (MD), Buffalo, (NY); Dallas (TX); and Phoenix (AZ). (NCJ 199060)
Manual of Crime Analysis Map Production, November 2000
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), November 2000. This manual provides guidelines to interpret maps used in crime analysis. (NCJ 190424)
Misuse and Abuse of 911, July 2004
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), July 2004. This guidebook, part of the COPS’ Problem Oriented Guides for Police series, addresses the various misuse and abuse problems of 911 systems and provides possible solutions for these problems.
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), December 2003. This report describes the development and launch of Chicago Police Department’s Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) System and the development of an integrated criminal justice information system powered by the CLEAR data warehouse. Lessons learned are presented on the design, development, and use of automated systems and police management applications. (NCJ 205698)
Policing Smarter Through IT: Lessons in Enterprise Implementation, August 2004
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), August 2004. Using lessons learned from Chicago’s Citizen and Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting (CLEAR) System, this report provides the reader with practical strategies and cautions to consider when developing an integrated criminal justice information system. Addresses funding, implementation and management of IT solutions. (NCJ 206752)
Promising Strategies From the Field, March 2003
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), March 2003. Eleven case studies of police agencies are presented to highlight innovative uses of COPS funding, including the Houston (TX) 311 call system initiative.
Tips for Ensuring Successful Technology Implementation (Fact Sheet), November 2002
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), November 2002. This article outlines 10 tips for proper implementation of technology.
Users' Guide to Mapping Software for Police Agencies 5th Edition, October 2003
Office of Community Policing Oriented Services (COPS), October 2003. This COPS Office/ Police Foundation report provides a review of a wide range of mapping software and geographic information systems, focusing on their functionality and ease of use by members of police departments. It should be of great interest to those seeking to purchase crime-mapping software.