SELECTION FACTORS FOR POLICE AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEMS (FROM CARNAHAN CONFERENCE ON CRIME COUNTERMEASURES - PROCEEDINGS, 1977, BY JOHN JACKSON SEE NCJ-57737)

• NCJ Number: 57745
• Author(s): G D WILSON
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: University of Kentucky
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FOCUSING ON AVAILABLE SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATICALLY LOCATING POLICE VEHICLES, THIS PAPER EXAMINES FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SELECTION OF A SYSTEM APPROPRIATE TO INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT NEEDS.

Abstract

WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF COMMERCIAL AUTOMATIC VEHICLE LOCATION SYSTEMS THAT HAVE PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS COMMENSURATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, THERE IS INCREASING INTEREST IN EMPLOYING THIS TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE COMMAND AND CONTROL, ENHANCE OFFICER SAFETY, AND PROVIDE DATA FOR THE EVALUATION OF PATROL STRATEGIES. THIS PAPER REVIEWS THE INTERFACING OF THE TECHNOLOGY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT DISPATCH OPERATIONS, SUMMARIZES THE THREE CATEGORIES OF AVAILABLE SYSTEMS, IDENTIFIES THE OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS THAT INFLUENCE SYSTEM PERFORMANCE, AND OUTLINES THE TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FACTORS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION AND DEPLOYMENT OF AN OPERATIONAL SYSTEM. THE FIRST CATEGORY INVOLVES PROXIMITY TECHNOLOGY, A SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD APPROACH ANALOGOUS TO A STREET SIGN SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT LOCATION INTELLIGENCE IS COMMUNCIATED BETWEEN THE VEHICLE AND A FIXED ELEMENT WHOSE LOCATION IS PRECISELY KNOWN. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE SECOND CATEGORY--DEAD-RECKONING TECHNOLOGY--IS THE CALCULATION OF VEHICLE POSITIONS RELATIVE TO A FIXED REFERENCE POINT, USING DATA FROM DIRECTION AND DISTANCE-TRAVELED SENSORS IN EACH VEHICLE. THE LAST CATEGORY--RADIO FREQUENCY POSITIONING--CENTERS ON DETERMINING THE DISTANCE OF VEHICLES FROM THREE OR MORE FIXED SITES AND CONVERTING THE RESULTING HYPERBOLIC LINES OF POSITION TO A GEOGRAPHIC REFERENCE. GRAPHS, MAPS, AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS ARE INCLUDED. (KBL)