Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
October 2011
Can a police department use its UCR stats to compare itself (productivity, efficiency, etc.) to other departments? No! When can UCR be used for comparative purposes? To compare itself from year to year.
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Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
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Yes, crime stats and UCR are two very different things (more on that in a minute) and now more than ever it’s time to be sure yours are correct. Has the media knocked on your door yet? Have your numbers been called into question even when they were right?
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Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
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When police departments produce crime statistics which are inaccurate, whether through UCR or in-house reports, the impact can be felt on various levels (that is if the inaccuracy is discovered). Questions may come from the public, challenges can arise when seeking grant funding (often based in part on local crime statistics) and the criminal investigations unit can be second guessed on how cases are being cleared.
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Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
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If you have attended my Building a Model Police Records Section seminar you know that I am a fan of change. Change is a good thing so long as it makes sense and is needed. However problems can arise when change is made simply for the sake of change or for other selfish reasons.
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Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
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There is no doubt technology is the driving force of law enforcement today. Information led policing and the use of advanced software programs has been the approach for some time now. Yet with it has come an unintended and not always welcome byproduct that has led to trouble for some agencies.
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Edward Claughton
PRI Management Group
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How long should you keep records and data? While the simple answer is refer to your state’s records retention schedules, the reality is there are several things to consider before destroying your agency’s information. This includes not only following the law but also ensuring 1) policy is in place and is followed, and 2) you balance the need to keep the information against the liability inherent in holding on to it.
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Ed Claughton
PRI Management Group
Is it me or is corruption on the rise (again)? I seem to hear and read about more and more unethical and illegal acts lately in law enforcement. While I’m no sociologist this would seem likely with the current state of the economy. However, tough times are no excuse in our profession.
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