Jared Rose
VP of Sales
One of a crime analyst’s most important roles is to distribute information to fellow law enforcement officers. Getting this information into the hands of officers on patrol, responding to calls, or actively working cases is critical to effective police work.
While email has its place in distributing information, crime analysts have told us that using an agency management system has distinct advantages. With so many daily emails coming to officers, they may overlook critical information they need from crime analysts. A quick delete of an email can make it difficult to find at the moment it’s most needed.
Email and agency management systems are both needed in modern police departments, but they should be used, particularly by crime analysts, in very specific circumstances.
Occasions When Crime Analysts Should Use Email
There are a number of times when sending information through email is the best choice, including:
- Sending an official department memo that goes to all personnel.
- Requesting specific information from one person or a small group of people.
- Notifying a group of people where to find information that has been recently posted.
- Responding to a specific request made by one person or a small group of people.
By limiting use of email to these functions, officers will know the types of information to expect from crime analysts via email.
Advantages of Disseminating Information through an Agency Management System
For distributing regularly produced or one-time-only crime analysis, an agency management system has many distinct advantages over email. Here are some the best reasons to use agency management systems for sharing crime analysis information:
- Real-time communications: With the ability to communicate in real time through discussion boards or threads, law enforcement personnel can discuss what further crime analysis is needed, what areas need more examination or what other products need to be created. All personnel involved in an investigation can keep up to date on its status, including notifications when a crime is solved, an arrest is made or a suspect provides new information that needs further investigation.
- Organized information: Pertinent Information about an investigation can be stored and organized in one place. This alleviates the need for individual personnel to create their own organization system and for information to be distributed consistently and accurately. This allows relevant personnel to access information specific to their own investigative needs. For example, information can be organized by district, type of product or other self-created categories as needed by the department.
- Searchable archives: With archived reports, personnel can use keyword searches or phrases to locate and retrieve needed information. Officers do not need to search through old emails or request a crime analyst to locate and resend information.
- Large files are easily accessible: Photos, graphs, maps, charts, videos, BOLOs and other data are often large files that can be cumbersome and eat up storage on mobile devices. Agency management systems make such files easy to access, retrieve and use immediately.
- Pop-up alerts: When information is particularly important, such as a crime pattern bulletin or video of a crime in progress, an alert, much like a website pop-up ad, can be posted. These pop-ups provide a helpful alert to personnel who access the agency management system, keeping them apprised of vital information as quickly as possible. When the crisis is over, the alert can be removed and archived.
With SmartForce™ by Adventos, law enforcement agencies can provide crime analysts with the right tools to effectively communicate about key information and updates. With practical storage, retrieval and alert functions, officers who need information can access it quickly.
Parties interested in the SmartForce™ Agency Management System and how it improves intelligence and community collaboration, click here. After watching the demo video, you are invited to request a free trial of the agency management system to try for yourselves.
