THE CREATION OF REAL-TIME CRIME CENTERS IS AN IMPORTANT LEVER IN THE TRANSFER OF THE POLICE FROM A REACTIVE MODE TO A PROACTIVE ONE: FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The goal of the article is to study the foreign best practices of using criminal analysis centers in real time regarding the possibility of transferring police activity from a reactive mode to a proactive one. Since the beginning of the new millennium, different policing paradigms have gradually changed or simply complemented each other: community policing, intelligence-led policing, active use of intelligence from open sources, criminal analysis. Each of them envisaged, in the case of its proper implementation, to ensure a change in the mode of police activity from a reactive one to a proactive one. Today, with the same confidence, the implementation of the paradigm of using real-time crime centers has begun in some states. For its implementation, the paradigm requires powerful technical and informational support. The authors indicate that Real-time crime centers have become popular throughout the United States. It is believed that such a center can help the police team in a number of issues: 1) to be aware of situations in real time – by receiving a continuous flow of information from many sources; 2) to monitor critical assets and infrastructure; 3) to work more efficiently – the latest data will help proactive work; 4) to increase productivity – through optimal spatial planning and the latest technologies; 5) to promote cooperation of analysts, investigators and team members from various departments. The authors highlight the mission of real-time crime centers, which is to centralize a wide range of current and emerging technologies, to coordinate the human resources of police and/or civilian professionals and direct their attention to high-level crime areas, ongoing active crimes, large-scale public events, which may require the presence or response of law enforcement agencies. Police departments that have RTCCs include the New York, Miami-Dade, Seattle, Fort Worth, St. Louis, Albuquerque, Austin, Tampa, Fresno Police Departments , Minneapolis and Houston. The authors indicate the most important foundations for ensuring the effectiveness of the real-time crime center: 1) ensuring the safety of police officers by instantly providing them with the most up-to-date information about the environment in which they have to work right now; 2) provision of instant identification of persons of professional interest; 3) promotion of reliable detention – through the distribution of personnel on the territory in the manner adequate to the situation. The introduction of cloud technologies and the rejection of proprietary systems will contribute to the efficiency of setting up the working platform, accessibility to the necessary police units, reliability of its work and ease of modernizing. The authors express confidence that real-time crime centers will respond to the proactive mode of police work. However, abandoning traditional centers of criminal analysis is not advisable, because they work with crimes that are latent in nature, develop slowly and information about them is bring collected gradually.