A PPMIS CAN AID WITH COMPLEX ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS BY MAKING ALL USEFUL EMPLOYEE INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE: IT MAY PROVE PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION AND FOR POLICE PERSONNEL RESEARCH. DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SYSTEM, A PPMIS MAY BE USED IN TRAINING, EVALUATION AND FOR EVALUATION AND PERFORMANCE COUNSELING. IN PLANNING FOR A PPMIS, DECISIONS SHOULD FIRST BE MADE ON THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT WILL BE COLLECTED, THE METHOD WHICH WILL BE USED FOR OBTAINING DATA, THE TYPE OF REPORTS WHICH WILL BE USED (OPERATIONAL, REGULATORY AND/OR ANALYTICAL), UPDATING PROCEDURES, AND DATA SECURITY PRECAUTIONS. FOR BOTH THE DALLAS AND THE DADE COUNTY POLICE INACCESSIBLE AND OBSOLETE PERSONNEL INFORMATION WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THERE WAS A PRESSING NEED TO BROADEN CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION, REDUCE USELESS DUPLICATION OF INFORMATION, AND FORMALIZE PLACEMENT PROCEDURES. PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PPMIS, BOTH RELIED ON A MANUAL PROCESS OF PERSONNEL RECORD MAINTENANCE. OBJECTIVES OF THE DALLAS PPMIS INCLUDED PROVISION OF A PERSONAL HISTORY FILE FOR EACH OFFICER, A PERSONNEL POSITION FILE, A BIMONTHLY REVIEW OF COURT DATES FOR EACH OFFICER, A MEANS FOR CREATING DEPARTMENTAL MAILING LISTS, MONTHLY BATCHES OF PERSONNEL CHANGES AND POLICE PERSONNEL, AND MONTHLY TOTALS BY RANK, RACE AND SEX OF SWORN PERSONNEL AS WELL AS MONTHLY STRENGTH REPORTS AND A COMPARISON OF AUTHORIZED VERSUS ACTUAL PERSONNEL. DADE COUNTY OBJECTIVES INCLUDED THE PROVISION OF A CENTRALLY LOCATED MEANS OF STORING, SELECTIVELY RETRIEVING, STATISTICALLY MANIPULATING A LARGE AMOUNT OF PERSONNEL INFORMATION IN A SECURE, PERTINENT, AND SIMPLE-TO-USE SYSTEM, AND TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR MONITORING USAGE AND POSSIBLE EXPANSION IN RESPONSE TO FUTURE NEEDS. BOTH SYSTEMS INCORPORATE A NUMBER OF SECURITY PRECAUTIONS TO ENSURE PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION. IMPLEMENTATION AND MONTHLY MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS ARE COMPARED WITH MANUAL SYSTEM COSTS. THE FOLLOWING STEPS SHOULD BE USED IN IMPLEMENTATION OF A PPMIS: (1) OBTAIN ADVICE AND SUPPORT OF CITY OR COUNTY TECHNICAL COMPUTER PERSONNEL; (2) COMPILE A MASTER SUBJECT LIST; (3) CONTACT ALL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL WHO WILL BE USING THE SYSTEM AND DESCRIBE THE SYSTEM TO THEM; (4) IDENTIFY ALL FILES CONTAINING INFORMATION ON SWORN PERSONNEL; (5) LOCATE AND OBTAIN SAMPLE COPIES OF ALL FORMS USED BY THE DEPARTMENT OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS AND ANALYZE INFORMATION CATEGORIES; (6) HAVE ALL USERS REVIEW THIS LIST; (7) CREATE A PERSONNEL UPDATE FORM; (8) BEGIN DATA COLLECTION AND CHECK FOR ACCURACY AND LEGIBILITY; AND (9) ONCE SYSTEM IS OPERATIONAL PROVIDE USER ORIENTATION AND TRAINING SESSIONS. APPENDIXES INCLUDE DATA FORMS, INFORMATION ITEMS INCLUDED IN BOTH THE DALLAS AND DADE COUNTY SYSTEMS, DATA COLLECTION FORMS, AND SAMPLE PROFILES FROM THE DALLAS PPMIS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JAP)