Increased availability and analytical use of detailed crime data is important for two reasons: it can increase the effectiveness of crime prevention efforts; and it can correct misperceptions about the safety of urban neighborhoods.  State of the art crime analysis can help police departments to identify and manage crime problems before they get out of hand.  Access to data can also help community groups to have a better understanding of the crime problems in their neighborhood, so they can be more effective partners with law enforcement.  

Currently, law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth are required to submit crime data to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security NIBRIS system.  However, this data is not easily interpreted because of inconsistencies in formatting, reporting, and quality.  Much of this inconsistency arises due to out-of-date software and lack of consistent data entry protocols.  NIBRIS data also lack geospatial information, so they cannot be used for crime mapping analysis that can identify patterns and support strategic distribution of resources.  This lack of mapping capacity is especially problematic for efforts to coordinate enforcement across municipal boundaries.

The state’s Executive Office of Public Safety and Security is in the process of addressing these challenges by implementing a Statewide Information Sharing System database to remedy the problems of previous crime databases.  This “incident tracking warehouse” will support a variety of public safety related activities, including municipal use of a spatial statistics program for the analysis of crime incident locations.   However, the statewide system will only be as good as the data in its warehouse. All municipalities should participate in the program, which may require them to increase their in-house crime reporting capacity, including staff, hardware, software, and protocols.  

Regional collaboration on crime analysis is important because many criminal entities such as gangs operate with little regard to political boundaries.  Collaboration can also increase the resources available to municipalities through shared equipment or staff.  Regional crime mapping centers currently exist in the MAPC region (Boston, Lynn, and Framingham), but their coverage does not currently include every municipality (or even every urban municipality.)  These centers can provide a venue for formal coordination and exchange of data, which currently occurs on an ad hoc basis through personal relationships and incident-specific efforts.  Municipalities, MAPC, the Northeast Region Homeland Security Advisory Council, and state agencies should also evaluate the potential for a truly regional system managed by MAPC, which has extensive GIS, data, and public safety capacity. 

7.a    The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security should complete development and implementation of the Statewide Information Sharing System (SWISS)

7.b    Municipal police departments should participate in the Statewide Incident Sharing System

7.c    Every urban municipality should establish a crime analyst position or collaborate with a regional crime analysis center

7.d    Municipal police departments and regional crime mapping centers should establish websites for public access and mapping of crime data

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