Tracking violent crime - Australian Institute of Criminology

Completion of the ViCLAS information means that each case entered onto the system
is described in exactly the same way, as investigators answer exactly the same
questions, select from the same answer options and use the same definitions.
Comparison of cases is based on the data entered using specific criteria, thus
overcoming the lack of a common language.
ViCLAS will not only assist the investigator, but will provide cost effective solutions
for police agencies across Australia. If links between cases are identified, information
is able to be shared and a multi jurisdictional approach is taken, then costs will be
saved in the investigation. If just one murderer or rapist is apprehended, and other
cases can be solved from linking that offender to an unsolved case, cost savings will
be made.
As well as the monetary costs, there are also others to consider. Police rely on the
support of the public in apprehending offenders , preventing and solving crime. The
public safety and their perceptions must be balanced against the cost of the system.
The hidden costs of homicide include the loss of faith of policing by the community,
the loss of wage earners, as well as the psychological loss to the victim and offender‘s
families and friends. Police in Australia need to be at the forefront of solving crime
and adapting relevant technology for their use.
IMPLEMENTATION IN AUSTRALIA
The ABCI Board of Control has ratified the adoption of ViCLAS, and the system is
currently being implemented nationally, with each jurisdiction taking responsibility for
collecting and entering data onto the system. Each State and/or Territory has a
ViCLAS coordinator who has been trained in the analytical skills required to use the
system.
AVCAC is responsible for the national implementation, training, quality control,
maintenance and marketing of the system, as well as national analysis.
ViCLAS will be shortly available to each jurisdiction through the Australian Law
Enforcement Intelligence Network. This will enable cases placed on the system to be
available for national analysis immediately. The collection of data to enable a
meaningful analysis to occur is a priority.
The combination of the ALEIN and ViCLAS concepts enables further opportunities to
be developed. ALEIN provides the flexibility to display images, which means that
victim and offender photographs could be displayed, as could dental charts for missing
people. There are currently discussions taking place which are coordinated by the
National Institute of Forensic Science (NIFS) into this possibility. The ViCLAS
concept is also currently being examined for the feasibility of holding information on
armed robbery offenders.
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