TTPS QUARTERLY No.1 (1)

Brionne Antoine
Crime Analyst, Crime and
Problem Analysis Branch
Introduction
The use of crime statistics in policing to combat crime is
certainly not a new idea. As early as the 1960s, police
departments around the world have taken advantage
of crime statistics in developing crime fighting
techniques and strategies. However, with the
changing and increasing demands on police
departments regarding crime, public safety and
the multitude of surrounding issues as well as
finite police resources, it has called for a more
systematic approach. Thus, crime statistics,
as well as the tools used to analyse them,
play an even more critical role. For the
Trinidad and Tobago Police Service
(TTPS),the same holds true,
especially in light of the multiplicity
of challenges faced with regard to
crime and violence in Trinidad and
Tobago. The following article
seeks to discuss the crucial
role that crime statistics
play in the crime-fighting
strategies of the TTPS.
Crime figures: First Step in Setting Priorities
Knowledge of crime data is an essential requisite for the
effective prioritizing and allocation of police resources in
the TTPS. Prior to the consistent usage of crime statistics,
there was an inclination to establish strategies based on
immediate or current events. This “snapshot” approach
limited the ability to be aware of wider crime trends and
patterns at the district and divisional levels. With the
advent of the Records Management System (RMS) in
1999, the TTPS was capable of capturing and storing
higher quality crime data, which provided police officers
with a more comprehensive overview of reported crimes.
In 2007, the Crime and Problem Analysis Branch (CAPA)
was established, which in addition to the Compstat
(comparative statistics) process, enhanced the TTPS
capabilities to effectively analyse crime trends and
patterns. Police officers were now able to examine crime
data at the district, divisional and national levels in order
to determine high-priority events. Thus, the focus on using
data and analysis assisted police officers in identifying
concentrations of crime, prioritizing them and allocating
the relevant resources. Given the wide array of complex
services the TTPS is required to provide to the public,
crime statistics and data analysis are the main drivers
behind setting top priorities and strategic goals in a
manner that is consistent and objective.
Predictive Policing
According to the National Institute of Justice (2014),
“predictive policing tries to harness the power of
information, geospatial technologies and evidence-based
intervention models to reduce crime and improve public
safety. This two-pronged approach — applying advanced
analytics to various data sets, in conjunction with
intervention models — can move law enforcement from
reacting to crimes into the realm of predicting what and
where something is likely to happen and deploying resources
accordingly.” Crime statistics speak directly to the first part
of the two-pronged approach – advanced analysis of data
sets. Crime data is essentially the foundation of this
approach as it provides the information needed to conduct
analyses about likely crime events, trends and patterns as
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