National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center's (NLECTC) Information and Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence (COE)

The Information and Geospatial Technologies (IGT) Center of Excellence (CoE) provides strategic planning, evaluation and outreach support to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for its four portfolios and Technology Working Groups related to information technology (IT) and analytics: Information-Led Policing; Geospatial Technologies; Operations Research; and Modeling and Simulation.

Task 1: License Plate Reader Technologies: LPR technology is disseminating extremely rapidly into departments; Lum et al. (2010) found that over one third of large police agencies have or are acquiring LPR systems, with many smaller agencies considering LPR, as well. However, a recent Police Executive Research Foundation (PERF) report (Taylor, Koper, and Woods, 2010) found no evidence that use of LPR in a controlled study reduced vehicle thefts, the original purpose of this technology. RAND will conduct a study of LPR technologies.

Task 2: Image and Video Sharing Technologies: Photo and video sharing technologies are additional areas that have seen heavy growth. Photo sharing technology is now being piloted by major information exchange systems such as NLETS and ARJIS to assist with both identity resolution (who is this person) and finding persons of interest. Video sharing technology has been used for similar purposes, as well as for both officers and interested citizens to conduct "virtual patrols" and assist crime investigations from their computer screens. RAND will conduct a study of image and video sharing technologies.

Task 3: Emerging Best Practices to use Information and Analytic Technologies to Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness: RAND will review practices for employing IT and analytics to help address budget cuts. RAND will review recent major paradigms for using IT and analytics (information-led policing, intelligence-led policing, predictive policing, etc.), as well as specific implementation projects. In addition to literature reviews, we will work with NIJ and NIJ-supported researchers conducting evidence-based practice research to identify promising initiatives that have used technology to improve both efficiency and effectiveness, and conduct interviews with representatives from these initiatives to collect lessons learned.

nca/ncf

This award provides supplemental funding to award 2010-IJ-CX-K007. This award was competitively made to RAND Corporation in response to a proposal it submitted to an NIJ FY2010 solicitation "Information and Geospatial Technologies Center of Excellence". The purpose of this supplemental funding is to enable RAND Corporation to continue to operate the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) System's Information and Geospatial Technologies Center of Excellence (COE).

The principal role of the COEs is to support NIJ's research programs. They assist NIJ in identifying the technology needs of the criminal justice community with respect to the portfolios that they support and conduct related research, test, and evaluation activities. They also develop the equipment performance standards that underpin the NIJ compliance-testing program as well as best practices guides. They provide active Technology Assistance (TA); assisting agencies to address specific technology issues in a relevant area, for example, in implementing a new communications system.

Activities this supplemental funding will support include:
* Conducting a study of the mobile applications (Apps) and devices used by law enforcement agencies to aid decision-making.
* Providing support to the NIJ Office of Science and Technology in its program planning efforts.
* Developing a guide for law enforcement agencies on the comparative characteristics of commercially available records management and computer aided dispatch systems.
* Conducting a nation-wide survey to identify the nature and maturity of the existing geospatial capabilities used by police departments.
* Conducting two expert panels to identify high-priority criminal justice operational needs in the areas of courts and policing that might be met with technology.

nca/ncf

The initial RAND Corporation award was made under the Fiscal Year 2010 National Institute of Justice solicitation Information and Geospatial Technologies Center of Excellence. This solicitation, sought applications to establish an Information and Geospatial Technologies Center of Excellence (COE) within the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) System to support the NIJ research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E) process in its specific technology areas. The principal purpose of the NLECTC COEs was to conduct research, test, and evaluation activities to inform NIJ technology research and development efforts. So, for example, the COEs routinely conducted technical assessments of the technology products resulting from NIJ-funded R&D work. They also conducted research to assist NIJ in identifying the technology needs of the criminal justice community. They developed equipment performance standards and guides. A COE's level of effort and the projects it conducted varied from year to year based on the needs of NIJ's technology R&D program, as specified by the relevant NIJ program manager. Among other projects under this award, RAND undertook development and implementation of a first ever nation-wide survey to identify the nature and the maturity of the existing geospatial (crime mapping) capabilities of police departments. This supplement is needed to complete this survey. nca/ncf