The Baltimore Police Department has indefinitely suspended their COMPSTAT program because the program has grown "stale" and "laborious," "It's become a forum for finger-pointing and just running through a lot of numbers without giving some concrete strategies for fighting crime".
American Police Beat
Monday, October 11, 2010
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6 comments:
Compstat has valid and useful data if used properly. You guys spend a quarter of your time entering data into a computer system that stores and processes the data. Compstat is a early version of data applications that the US military has used very quietly and successfully in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one is talking much about the US victory in Iraq. Much of the success is due to cops like yourselves. Reserve cops on active duty in Iraq quickly noted that LE data applications such as Compstat could be used to predict terrorist activity, combined with local intelligence, high tech drones, ELINT and the best fracken' troops earth gave our guys an unbeatable edge that broke the back of Al Quada in Iraq and is pulverizing AQ command in Pakistan. Those drone attacks don't just magically happen, its guys like you that are behind the success of these strikes.
The difference between DKPD Compstat and the war on terror is that the US military used all of its resources available, and built what else they needed to do the job, and were well funded. The US Congress learned its lesson well in the civil war, spending money on well trained and equipped troops kept US military casualties low while winning wars. US casualties have steadily dropped with every victory. The Viet Nam war was only lost after the Democrats voted not to fund or support the South Viet Nam government after the Paris peace accord. Peace with honor my ass.
My experience from 25 years in DeKalb government, no one gets more training or the equipment to do the job than DKPD and DKFS. Unfortunately much of it gets pissed away by poor management, policy and politics. The fact that DeKalb County is an avowed and active "Sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants speaks volumes for the politics of law enforcement in DeKalb County.
You guys need every break you can get, Compstat is a valuable tool in law enforcement. Use it and make it better. The victory in Iraq didn't just accidentally happen. Our troops were well financed and motivated and the LE reservists were smart and did their jobs to the best of their abilities.
DKPD is totally different, demoralized, underfunded and underappreciated by a hostile BOC and CEO more intent upon personal political gain than fixing county problems. The only solution for DKPD problems is political and the DeKalb Democrats in control are hostile to Law Enforcement on ideological principals.
I do not believe in Unions, I believe many of them are corrupt and do not have their members best interests at heart. From what I have seen the police unions are the least corrupt and generally honorable. The Obama admin passed a federal law this year stating that police union concerns and issues would be negotiated in good faith by local government. At this point a union membership might be your guys only hope of negotiating better conditions and pay from the BOC.
Best of luck, mates!
It does work, if you don't use it for "finger-pointing" like BPD was supposedly doing...I have a feeling we aren't far behind when it comes to finger-pointing!
We need man-power and cars to do the job. We have to many specials being run every day.
We have to respond to any commissioner's request with a dog and pony show.
Someone needs to point this out.
The only problem with manpower and cars..... any time we get more, the brass comes up with a special to put the "extra" units out on. They could give us ten more officers per shift....they'd just set up an ongoing special.
The units not on special end up running from one call to the next. Any downtime (on days and evenings) is used to catch up on J2.
The problem is management. They have no plan for the future. We are sinking.
This seems to be a day to day operation. There is no vision for where the department needs or wants to be in the future. I came from the private sector and our managers were educated and knowledgable. I don't mean to offend anyone, but to have captains and above with GED's is an issue. I know it is not high paying job, but there should be criteria of some sort.
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