How a Homegrown Mobile System Helps Police Bust Gang Members

CIO - To curb gang activity in California, local courts and law enforcement created a special injunctions process that permits the arrest of known gang members for small infractions--in hopes of preventing more violent crimes. But to be really effective, arresting officers needed timely information to help them make good decisions and follow proper procedures.

The answer was a mobile-data system that puts "information at an officer's fingertips to make an arrest," says Ed Ivora, an administrative analyst and head of technology at the Long Beach Police Department.

A gang injunction is a court order making it illegal for known gang members to loiter together, possess spray paint or commit other small crimes in a pre-defined "safety zone." If a police officer sees such behavior, he can make an arrest. But first, the officer must verify that the person has been served the court papers.

This story is reprinted from CIO.com, an online resource for information executives. Story Copyright CXO Media Inc., 2012. All rights reserved.

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