Carolyn Wong

Evaluation of National Institute of Justice-Funded Geospatial Software Tools: Technical and Utility Assessments to Improve Tool Development, Dissemination, and Usage Carolyn Wong

Brief Description: "The research ... was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and conducted in the Safety and Justice Program within RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment."Table of Contents: Preface -- Figures and Tables -- Summary -- Acknowledgments -- Abbreviations -- Chapter 1. Introduction -- Background -- Purpose -- Approach -- Organization -- Chapter 2. Methodology and Data Collection -- Methodology -- Tools Evaluated -- Evaluation Framework -- Technical Assessment Framework -- Operational Assessment Framework -- Overall Evaluation -- Data Collection -- Chapter 3. Tool Assessments -- ArcGIS 10.2 PySAL Tool -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Crime Analytics for Space-Time -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- CrimeStat -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Facility Cop -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- GeoDaNct -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- GeoDaSpace -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Geographic Profiler -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Mobile Semi-Automated 3-D Tool -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Near Repeat Calculator -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- OpenGeoDa -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Python Spatial Analysis Library -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- School COP -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Spatial Pattern Analysis for Investigative Deepen Making Exploration and Response -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Urban Crime Simulator -- Technical Assessment -- Operational Assessment -- Impact -- Recommendations -- Chapter 4. Overall Evaluations, Findings, and Recommendations -- Overall Evaluations From a Holistic Perspective -- Findings and Recommendations -- Post-Solicitation Policy Inconsistencies and Gaps -- Tool-Dissemination Plans -- Go-To Sources for Tool Notification -- Process for Postdelivery Modifications -- Tool Interoperability -- Closing Remarks -- Appendix: ISO/IEC 12207:2008 and Software Life-Cycle Models -- Bibliography. Marc Notes: The research ... was sponsored by the National Institute of Justice and conducted in the Safety and Justice Program within RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment.; RR-418-NIJ--Page 4 of cover.; Includes bibliographical references (pages 87-93).; A geospatial software tool-evaluation study conducted for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) assessed 14 recent tool developments funded by NIJ. The study integrates input from tool developers and tool users with RAND Corporation researchers{u2019} independent tool assessments. The evaluation finds that 12 of the 14 NIJ development awards resulted in fully functional tools for the law enforcement community. Collectively, the tools provided the law enforcement community with access to new and enhanced geospatial capabilities to improve crime analysis. From a holistic perspective of NIJ{u2019}s tool-development efforts, the evaluation finds that NIJ can maximize benefits on future tool developments by addressing several apparent policy gaps and inconsistencies with respect to awardee requirements and oversight, including ensuring that policies assign NIJ or Department of Justice officials roles and responsibilities for the latter phases of software development, including integration and test, implementation, operations and maintenance, and disposition;developing tool-dissemination plans;establishing go-to sources for tool-deployment notifications;establishing a process and source of funding to address limitations in the initial version of the tool, such as a small post{u2013}tool-delivery modification fund;and taking the lead to address emerging interoperability and information-sharing issues. Acting on these recommendations will ensure that NIJ consistently maximizes benefits to the law enforcement community from its future tool development awards.; EBSCO complete collection. Publisher Marketing: A geospatial software tool-evaluation study conducted for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) assessed 14 recent NIJ-funded tool developments. The study integrates input from tool developers and users with RAND s independent assessments. The authors found that 12 developments resulted in fully functional tools and make five recommendations that will enable NIJ to maximize benefits to the law enforcement community from future developments."

Contributor Bio:  Wong, Carolyn Carolyn Wong is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University.