The Police Command and Control System : a spatial decision support system for law enforcement

Law enforcement agencies typically manage forces at the local precinct level. However, during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, in Atlanta, Georgia, centralized management of police forces was required. The Police Command and Control System (PCCS) was developed to facilitate the decision making for police commanders during the Olympics. The PCCS is composed of two sub-systems: the Central Manager which is comprised of a suite of tools for situation planning, monitoring and simulation; and a Field Manager comprised of local force management tools.

This thesis examines the development of the Police Command and Control System, its use and several of the issues encountered during its development and deployment. A key factor in the development is the types of software used to develop the system and the manner in which the integration of the software is performed. A detailed analysis of the design assumptions and their outcomes is included.