1.1 Introduction
Crime geographical information tracking system is an application software that helps identify potential suspects to increase investigators suspect base when no leads are evident. The ability to access and process information quickly while displaying it in a spatial and visual medium allows agencies to allocate resources quickly and more effectively. This system comprises the Software, Hardware, Data, and Personnel that make it possible to enter, manipulate, analyze and present information that is tied to a location on the earth's surface. Police Database Security software utilizes a crime geographical information tracking system which helps co-ordinate vast amounts of location-based data from multiple sources. It enables the user to layer the data and view the data most critical to the particular issue or mission. It is used world over by police departments, both large and small, to provide solutions for crime analysis, criminal tracking, traffic safety, community policing, Intranet/Internet mapping, and numerous other tasks.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
As the amount of criminal activity across the country increases, the need for crime prevention also increases. Therefore police departments need every available crime-fighting tool that can provide an advantage over criminals. Since traditional methods of crime analysis are becoming out-dated due to the amount of time required for analysis, a more automated process is desired.
The primary goal of the system is to prevent local crime through active crime deterrence and increased criminal apprehension. There is a growing trend in law enforcement to utilize computers equipped with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to solve and prevent crimes. By combining incident databases and geographic data with a mapping and analysis tool, law enforcement agencies can bring a new level of crime analysis capabilities to their efforts. Mapping incident locations is an effective way to identify spatial relationships and gain valuable insight into criminal activity.
These systems require considerable human and financial resources in order to be properly implemented and sustainable over time. New computer hardware and the intended software to be developed must integrate into the force.
However, these systems are primarily limited to data from their own jurisdiction. There is no framework in place to support the sharing of incident data between jurisdictions for statewide cross-jurisdictional crime analysis. Since criminals do not typically respect jurisdictional boundaries, data sharing can be a crucial element for effective analysis.
With the help of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the law enforcement agencies are able to track crime data to location and view the crime situation of an area on a map. The introduction of GIS has made possible the integration of spatial and non-spatial data. Geographical Information System capabilities also allow police to pin point where the problem areas are and allocate appropriate resources.
Crime tracking system helps crime officers determine potential crime sites by examining complex seemingly unrelated criteria and displaying them all in an interface. It also helps them map inmate populations, fixtures, and equipment to provide for the safety of inmates by separating gang members, identifying high-risk or potentially violent inmates, and identifying hazardous locations in an area. It reduces the potential for internal violence by providing better command and control. Traditionally, these activities have been supported by paper and pen. Police officers now have the ability to immediately generate crime report directly relevant to the situation at hand. Police agencies collect vast amounts of data from many sources including called-for-services, arrests, first information reports and daily report. The same information provides a powerful decision making tool for investigators, supervisors, and administrators.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Investigation revealed that the major problem that is considered in this research is how to develop the Crime Geographical Information Tracking System in such a way that will be understood and manage by the Nigerian Police Force, knowing that the system is sophisticated and it will require professional knowledge to manage. This is a huge problem considering the lack of expertise and high rate of corruption in the Nigeria Police Force.
As a result of the insincerity of the police force and the act of bribing and corruption that has eaten deep into the force in combating crime, the rate of crime tend to be on the higher side. Whereby the general public, end up suffering due to the quick response and tracking of crime by the Nigeria Police Force.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and develop a Crime Geographical Information Tracking System. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to develop an application software that will:
- Provide enhanced tools for law and order maintenance, investigation, and crime prevention;
- Improve Service Delivery of the police force;
- Checkmate and control genocide killing in the nation e.g Boko Haram;
- Increase operational efficiency of the police force; and
- Create a platform for sharing crime and criminal information across the country − there is a critical need to create a platform for sharing crime and criminal information across police stations within and between the different states in order to increase the effectiveness in dealing with criminals across the state borders.
1.5 Significance of Study
The working of this project has conceptualized the Crime and Criminals Tracking information system. This is an effort to modernize the Nigerian Police Force giving top priority to citizen services, information gathering, and its dissemination among various police organizations and units across the country.
A need has been felt to adopt a holistic approach to address the requirements of the police, mainly with relation to functions in the police station in the area of crime tracking.
The design of this crime tracking will essentially be relevant to the Nigerian Police Force as it will help eradicate the manual process of crime tracking which usually leads to arresting the innocent citizens while the real criminals get away.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of this research is focused on the Design and Implementation of a Crime Geographical Information Tracking System.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.8 Definition of Terms
Crime:
Crime is the breach of rules or law for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction.
Computer:
A computer is a general purpose device which can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations.
Measure:
Steps, methods to control situation
Police:
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by the state to enforce the law, protect property, and limit civil disorder.
Information:
Information, in its most restricted technical sense, is a sequence of symbols that can be interpreted as a message.
Investigation:
Investigation is the act or process of investigating; a careful search or examination in order to discover facts, etc.
