| | MAY 20219CIOReviewincidents have to wait for an available officer to be dispatched to take a report. The timing for this depends on the calls for service queue, the attributes of those calls, and time needed to resolve them. This can lead to waiting and frustration on the part of citizens. Why not allow the citizen to submit their own reports for certain incidents? Many large insurance companies allow such actions in reporting vehicle accidents Officers no longer need to look at screens or type and their narratives can be quickly tied to the data-rich CAD entry for the call for serviceand other losses. Police could leverage a similar platform to allow a citizen, for example, to submit a report of vandalism, with photographs and key details. An officer could review the submitted reports and refer them to follow up investigation or link them with other incidents. Perhaps a citizen reporting a claim to an insurance company forward the claim to local police as part of the process. This functionality would save time and more efficiently use resources.Replacing Written ReportsThe technology exists today for officers to dictate reports that automatically link to the computer aided dispatch (CAD) system. Officers no longer need to look at screens or type and their narratives can be quickly tied to the data-rich CAD entry for the call for service. Such systems should allow for videos and photographs to be uploaded. Paperless reports are faster and leverage system data to avoid duplicated entry of data. The resulting incident report is data rich, searchable, and efficient.Workforce SchedulingCould deploying data allow supervisors tomanage officer work schedules? Maybe so. Breaks and meals could be assigned as part of the dispatch queue, guaranteeing officers take time for self-care. By monitoring days worked and time since leave time was last used, officers could be encouraged to schedule or take leave time. Using calls for service data, staffing could be arranged to allow officers to rotate off the street for part of their weekly shifts. For example, officers could spend four days a week on the street and have one day a week in the station for paperwork, case follow up tasks, or training. Depending on the department and call volumes, a half-shift or two half-shifts a week might be more feasible for reports and related tasks.Leveraging Specialist NetworksSmartphone applications exist that notify CPR-trained citizens of others nearby having a cardiac event and alerts them to the location of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Why not leverage trained specialist networks for other issues? Think about an app that a responding officer could use to summon nearby social workers or mental health specialists to assist in a call for service until other resources, such as EMTs, arrived. Medical services could also be expanded beyond cardiac issues.The Path ForwardThe future rests in how agencies leverage data to optimize operations. Agencies should carefully review what they collect, why they collect it, and what they do with the collected data. Looking at available data resources, agencies need to think of the insights provided and how these learnings can influence new ways of thinking, managing, and driving meaningful operational improvements.
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