RICHARD ALLEN SCOTT - Through the Years

RICHARD ALLEN SCOTT
THROUGH THE YEARS
In “V” Directorate I was assigned
to work on the Visual and
Integrated Crime Analysis
Reporting System (VICARS),
intended to become a crime
analysis and graphic display
system. This 2-man unit was led
by an ex-member, Dr. Angus F.
Dalley, who had returned to school
after less than 5 years of service,
for a Doctorate in statistics. He
returned to the RCMP in the
civilian position as Statistician. A
brilliant man. A newfie with the gift
of the gab, and the ear of the
executives.
I first immersed myself in every
available on-line computer course
that was offered within the
Directorate. When those were
completed I began the task of
Dr. Angus F. Dalley - Ottawa
learning how to work the only
computers that the RCMP had at the time, mainframe IBM machines. I learned another
computer language (SAS and SASGraph), and quickly applied my new-found skills to creating a
variety of maps over which crime data was displayed. I was fortunate to have one of the very
few colour monitors, and access to the single, colour tractor-feed printer.
The following photos show me diligently creating my output. Those photos appeared in an
article “Geographic-Based Reference Files” A Utility for Police in Vol 47, No 7&8, 1985 of the
RCMP Gazette. Picture of me was on the front cover of the Gazette.
June 2017
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