Future of Police Emergency Response Systems

• NCJ Number: 99829
• Author(s): R C Larson
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: National Institute of Justice/NCJRS
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Research in Action, NIJ Report, March 1985

Annotation

This description of 'intelligent' computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems encompasses CAD management of service demands and the related innovations of mobile digital communications and automatic vehicle location (AVL)

Abstract

The article initially depicts hypothetical service calls and dispatch operations to illustrate some of the current and potential uses of new technology in collecting, verifying, and organizing the information needed for improved police dispatching and response to service calls. This is followed by a description of 'intelligent' CAD systems, which acquire sensory information inputs from 911 calls and police mobile-to-base communications as well as AVL information. A description of how CAD systems manage service demands focuses on how these systems can assist operators in obtaining correct addresses and determining the urgency of the service demand. The article then briefly describes the technology of an AVL system and reports on a National Institute of Justice study that tested the experimental uses of AVL systems. Features of the AVL system are outlined, and study findings suggest implications for preventive patrol. Eight references are listed.