Tracking violent crime - Australian Institute of Criminology

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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. 8
CONCLUSION The AVCAC has been internationally recognised as the leader in the implementation of ViCLAS outside of Canada, and is a member of the International Steering Committee. As Ted Bundy, the infamous serial murderer told the FBI interviewers, and Jurisdictional boundaries and the inability of law enforcement agencies to communicate with each other allows transient killers to avoid identification capture The good investigator knows that nothing will replace a sound investigation, but the Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System and the other services provided at the Australian Violent Crime Analysis Centre will enhance the law enforcement effort in tracking and dealing with violent offenders. 9
Page 1 and 2: AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF CRIMINAL INTEL
Page 3 and 4: BACKGROUND TO AVCAC The proposal to
Page 5 and 6: As well as Canada, ViCLAS has now b
Page 7: Modern transport enables offenders

Tracking violent crime - Australian Institute of Criminology

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