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Next Step in Accountability-Driven Leadership: "CompStating" the CompStat Data

NCJ Number
222951
Journal
THE POLICE CHIEF Volume: 75 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2008 Pages: 60-66,68,70
Author(s)
Ronald W. Serpas
Date Published
May 2008
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Given that one of the criticisms of CompStat--which is designed to hold precinct commanders accountable for the effectiveness of crime-control strategies in their jurisdictions--is that precinct records can be manipulated to give a favorable impression of crime-fighting efforts, this article describes how the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (Tennessee) audits the efforts and actions of all components of the department.
Abstract
The Crime Analysis Unit of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has implemented several processes for evaluating data generated from officers' activities. The Lieutenant Survey is the most basic of these audit processes. This survey randomly generates a list of crime victims each month. The main purpose of this process is to survey crime victims randomly in order to determine whether the police report on file accurately depicts the events that occurred, as reported to the original officer by the victim. Since January 2005, MNPD patrol lieutenants have contacted 70.8 percent of the targeted crime-victim population, who have confirmed at a 99-percent rate that the police report accurately describes the events of the crimes committed against them. Another auditing effort temporarily assigns police lieutenants and civilian equivalents to conduct full audits of organizational units throughout the department. Audit teams are trained to review random samples of police reports and supplemental police reports regarding the outcome of police investigations. Another component of data audit occurs when officers submit a report to their supervisors for review. After being signed by the supervisor, reports are sent to the Records Division, which reviews each report manually. If any errors are detected, a notice is sent to the officer to return to headquarters to correct the errors. 5 figures, 1 table, and 3 notes