COMPSTAT MODEL

CompStat Model Alternative

COMPSTAT Model Alternative

Introduction

People want to pursue social activities and develop human relations without fear in a democratic atmosphere. However, the transformational world structure has brought intensive threats to security and new trends in modern life. This situation changed the traditional family structure and accordingly society. As a matter of fact, the family and society, the major institutions of order, became ineffective in order to supervise individuals' manners. Police is a major institution that prohibits law violating people from destruction of public order and security since the foundation of the London Metropolitan Police in 1829.

In January 1994, then Police Commissioner, William Bratton and Mayor Rudy Giuliani developed a computer-coordinated initiative designed to prevent and control crime by holding precinct commander and their peers in all other bureaus accountable for reducing crime rates, known as Computer Comparison Statistics or CompStat.

The COMPSTAT Model

Policing the community, specifically heterogeneous communities, is still an essential part of a stable and civilized society. However, securing the environment causes one to surrender some individual rights for the sake of trustworthy social activities. Meanwhile, police administrations still need to make appropriate decisions to satisfy their customers in serving citizens even in the most complex situations. With this respect, police departments principally need to employ a rational decision-making system to facilitate their jobs and increase their strength, knowledge, and skills. Compstat is a widely known police management model among American police departments. A number of police departments have used since the tool of COMPSTAT since, its innovation in 1994 by New York Police Department.

Critique of the five principles of COMPSTAT

There are five principles that are forming the foundation of COMPSTAT, these principles are specific Objectives, timely, and accurate intelligence, effective strategies and tactics, rapid develop of personnel resources, relentless follow-up, and assessment. Law enforcement agencies at all levels must also have accountability and discretion.

Underlying principle of accurate and timely intelligence is the belief that if the police are to effectively respond to crime and community needs, officers at all levels of the organization must have accurate knowledge of when particular types of crimes, how and when crimes are occurring and who are committing the crimes.

Accurate and Timely Intelligence

Compstat is an information driven management model; it depends on accurate and timely intelligence concerning recent trends. Silverman (1999, p. 98), in his book titled NYPD Battles Crime: Innovative Strategies in Policing, described the situation of New York Police Department prior to Compstat.

Most precinct commanders did not see crime reduction as their foremost responsibility. In addition, commanding officers (COs) were essentially on their own in combating crime. Some did well; many did not. The department was not equipped to assist or motivate COs to attack crime and disorder problems. Headquarters was not tracking crime trends in the precincts or evaluating CO performance in fighting crime.

In order to abrogate negative factors, NYPD first aimed to have and disseminated crime statistics in a timely manner to the whole ...