As technology continues to advance, law enforcement has found it necessary to adapt and evolve alongside it. Rather than let themselves be technologically outgunned by tech-savvy criminals, law enforcement has utilized the advancements of the 21st century as weapons in the fight against crime.
One instance of this is in social media. The idea that almost everybody has voluntarily uploaded a database of their own personal information via Facebook or Instagram has been advantageous to investigators. These kind of apps let police look through pictures, phone numbers, addresses, lists of known associates (friends) etc… all from the comfort of a computer screen or smartphone. It is also useful in vetting potential applicants for employment. Police also use social media as a method of social outreach to their communities, fostering a culture of respect between police and the public.
Smartphones and tablets have other uses in the field besides quick access to social media. The access to GPS via Google Maps or Apple Maps can help officers find their way to a destination more quickly and avoid high traffic areas. GPS has the added advantage of being able to record incident locations. There are also translation applications which can help officers communicate with witnesses or suspects that may speak another language, without the hassle of needing to wait for a human translator. They also allow officers to take a picture and immediately send it off for analysis.
Another millennial technology that law enforcement has begun to adapt are unmanned drones. These flying machines can record images and videos in places foot patrols may not be able to access, and can send the information back in real time to crime analysts or department leaders. This can potentially be used to assess hostile situations from afar so as to minimize risk to law enforcement personnel.
Back at the precinct, powerful analytics software helps crime agencies study and recognize patterns and trends in crime. The data produced allows leadership to assign citywide resources to the places they will be most effectively utilized. At the same time, investigative case management software is helping investigators to keep track of their investigations in an easily accessible and secure format. Much of this software is available either on-premise or via the cloud. These technologies help law enforcement be more effective in their day to day dealings.
Category Archives: crime analysis
Case Closed Cloud™ Announces Large U.S. Federal Contract
(January 22, 2018) Washington, DC – Case Closed Software® announced today that a large US Federal Government Executive Department has selected Case Closed Cloud™ as its next-generation investigative case management platform.
The Department, with over 50,000 employees, is involved in investigating criminal cases and enforcing industry compliance in conjunction with their counterparts in all 50 U.S. States.
Case Closed Cloud is an innovative new Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) investigation management platform from Crime Tech Solutions, LLC – a leading provider of software to law enforcement, state agencies, and other investigative agencies.
“Case Close Cloud is an innovative new offering, and is already disrupting the case management industry”, said Douglas Wood, the company’s founder and chief executive. “This new customer chose us specifically for our unparalleled feature set, and because they can begin using the system without any significant upfront costs or IT requirements.”
Case Closed Software offers its software in both ‘on-premise’ and ‘cloud-based’ deployments, meaning that customers can quickly deploy the functionality in the manner that best suits their business requirements.
“The five year contract gives the customer access to our full suite of case management and big data investigation analytics”, added Mehul Panchal, Case Closed Software’s chief technology officer.
Good PR fosters good police work
How police can take advantage of Facebook’s Algorithm. Posted by Tyler Wood.
It’s 2018. Facebook is over a decade old and is still not only one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, but an integral part of seemingly everybody’s life. Organizations of all types use Facebook to reach out to their target audience whether they be the local community, potential buyers, etc…
Law enforcement organizations are no exception. Over the past decade or so, police departments around the globe have found that reaching out to their community via social media can lead to a better relationship between the police and the people they protect. It can also be a great way to crowdsource tips that could be of immense value to law enforcement.
An important aspect of social media use is understanding the algorithms that prioritize what content is seen by whom. The more people can see a post, the more the community becomes engaged with the content being shared. There are several ways to manipulate Facebook’s algorithm.
One of these ways is to share and re-share content. Every Facebook page has at least one administrator. After posting the content on the Police Department page, the admin(s) can share the the post from their personal account to get more views. Another way to ensure visibility is to curate posts so that they appeal to the target audience. Viewers will share content on their own pages more often if that content relates to them. It is important to let the audience know that they and their law enforcement live and work within the same community.
It is also important to engage with the community. Posts with more comments get pushed up higher in people’s news feeds. If a person comments on a post it is a great idea to comment back. Engaging in conversation not only makes the community feel more in touch with law enforcement, but it also helps the content to be seen by more people. Of course, there is another side to this engagement… most notably, the opportunity for mistakes and abuse.
Other helpful tips include: Share news. The way Facebook’s algorithm is set up favors content from news sources. These posts will typically be prioritized over other types of posts. It is also wise to take advantage of Facebook’s Live feature. Live videos are typically viewed over twice as many times as recorded ones.
Using these tips, law enforcement should be able to actively and effectively engage with and reach out to the communities they police. Good PR fosters good police work.
Copying Software | Stealing Data
If there was ever a reason to consider cloud-based investigation management software, this is it…
Personal identifying information (PII) related to nearly a quarter million DHS employees (and others connected with the agency) was compromised back in 2014. In May, the Homeland Security IG office found a copy of its investigative case management system—and the reams of personal information contained within it – in the possession of a former office employee, according to a department statement. Read the full story here.
Case Closed Cloud is a secure, cloud-based investigation case management solution for government and other investigation agencies. There is no software for employees to copy or download.
RESEARCH 'N REPORTS NAMES CASE CLOSED SOFTWARE® 'KEY VENDOR' FOR GLOBAL INVESTIGATION MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE MARKET
December 4, 2017 (Austin, TX) Case Closed Software®, a leader in the development of investigation software for law enforcement and commercial agencies, has been named by leading research company Research ‘N Reports as a ‘Key Vendor’ for the global investigation software market.
The report, “Latest Research on the Investigation Management Software Market” studies the global Investigation Management Software market, analyzes and researches the investigation management software development status, and provides market forecasts in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.
Just days ago, on November 29th, Case Closed Software announced the release of Case Closed Cloud™, a SaaS version of its leading case management software.
Just days ago, on November 29th, Case Closed Software announced the release of Case Closed Cloud™, a SaaS version of its leading case management software.
Graph and Map Formatting and Annotations coming to Visallo 4.0
Showing off all your hard work and in-depth analysis will be easier and faster than ever with Visallo 4.0, thanks to a host of new formatting and annotation options for graphs and maps. CLICK HERE for a sneak peak of what to expect with the new release.
Case Management: Changing 'Overwhelm' to 'Overperform'
Posted by Audrey Rodgers, Customer Success Manager at Case Closed Software
Law Enforcement Agencies today have to deal with a vast amount of information, both in physical and digital formats. Five new cases just fell into your hands today…. Those cases go with the other twenty you have already been assigned. BAM!
It’s clear that you have more than your share of work to do. Many detectives might find this a bit overwhelming and stressful, but with a bit of planning, and a great tool, you will be well on your way to keeping track of all twenty-five cases.
Case Closed Software has all the functionality to assist you in that process:
- Tracking your Cases
- Approval Process
- Master Name and Address database with address verification
- Tips and Informants
- Internal Communications via chat and email
- Web-based Remote Case Reviews
In serving the public safety software industry for over a decade, Case Closed has heard a number of request from different departments across the country. Primary among those is the fact that Investigators do not want to be records managers, or state reporting clerks. They merely want to solve crimes.
The Case Closed application provides exactly what any law enforcement detective division needs. While other vendors focus on Records Management Systems (RMS) and Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) software with some ‘case management’ thrown in as an afterthought, Case Closed is focused SOLELY on case management and comprehensive investigative analytics.
No other system offers more at such an attractive price point. For more information on Case Closed Software, please visit us HERE.
North Carolina county selects Case Closed Software for investigation management
(November 1, 2017) Austin, TX – Case Closed Software™, a leading provider of investigation case management software to law enforcement agencies, today announced that a large North Carolina Sheriff’s Office has signed a multi-year contract for their best-in-class software.
The Tar Hill State county, serving several hundred thousand residents, selected Case Closed Software after a nearly year-long search for sophisticated software that can help them work investigations more efficiently with a goal to close criminal cases more quickly.
According to Douglas Wood, President of Case Closed Software, the county selected his company’s offering due to the flexibility and overall feature set it offers.
“We’re thrilled to add this Sheriff’s Office to our delighted customer base”, said Mr. Wood. “One of the reasons we won the business is the fantastic references provided by our existing clientele, which include Police Departments, Sheriff’s Offices, State Investigation Bureaus, District Attorneys and more.”
Case Closed Software has begun implementation of the software and expects the County to be fully installed and trained by November 30, 2017.
Case Closed Software, who recently announced a strategic relationship with analytics software provider Visallo, develops and markets investigation management software, sophisticated investigation analytics, and advanced criminal intelligence software for law enforcement.
Video: Best Practices for Criminal Investigation Management
Sponsored by Case Closed Software, this 25 minute video features author and former law enforcement official Daniel McDevitt as he overviews some of the best practices developed over his 40+ year career in criminal investigations.
Daniel is the author of Managing The Investigation Unit, and Major Case Management, and is recognized across the country as a leading expert in this field.
Grab a coffee, sit back, and watch the video HERE on YouTube.
Must Read: The Rise of Big Data Policing
Here’s an excellent, must-read article from Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a Professor of Law at the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law and author of the book The Rise of Big Data Policing: Surveillance, Race, and the Future of Law Enforcement (NYU Press 2017).
“The big data policing revolution has arrived. The singular insight of this innovation is that data-driven predictive technologies can identify and forecast risk for the future. Risk identification is also the goal of this book — to forecast the potential problems of big data policing as it reshapes law enforcement.”
Read the full article HERE.
In the meantime, Case Closed Software™ reminds you that, as the only true alternative to Palantir®, we specialize in big data investigation analytics combined with the industry’s most robust investigative case management solution.
We are “Palantir® without the price tag and data-lock”.
Contact us for more information below:
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