Only fifty-five percent of U.S. police agencies are using investigations case management software of some type, and most users are highly dissatisfied with their current systems, according to a new research survey released by Wynyard Group.
The remaining 37% are not using an automated system to aid in investigations and 8% were not sure.
Case management software allows investigators to quickly search for information they need, save it into a secured electronic file, and more easily collaborate with others on the case.
This saves time and effort reporting on cases and reveals new information, suspects and leads, survey respondents said.
67% of users said their agency is running a customized system developed in house or by a contracted information technology vendor, while the remaining 33% are using a “commercial, off the shelf” (COTS) software system.
Keeping up with technology advancements can be a real problem for cost-conscious agencies.
As new and larger data sources become available – such as social media, for example — older in-house systems struggle with managing the volume and making the information available to the investigators working the case.
(Wynyard Group is a market leader in serious crime fighting software used by customers in government, financial services and infrastructure critical to a nation. Courtesy of the Wynyard Group and YouTube)
The online survey, conducted in August 2016, drew 271 responses from law enforcement professionals from state, county, municipal and federal law enforcement agencies.
The survey asked users how likely they would be to recommend their current system to a colleague, a widely used measuring system known as a “net promoter score.”
While most users were highly dissatisfied with their current system, there was significantly higher dissatisfaction among users of in-house or custom-developed solutions than among those using COTS case management software.
Those with custom systems had a Net Promoter Score of -64%, while those using COTS software systems had a -44% score.
“Almost every industry, from manufacturing to supply chain logistics to tax and accounting have gone through this same evolution,” said Chris Stauber, Senior Vice President for Products, at Wynyard.
“In the beginning when there are few vendors working a problem, it’s generally better to build your own solution. As the industry matures and a market develops, it becomes far more cost effective to buy off-the-shelf from a technology vendor than to try to build and then support the solution yourself.”
The survey also measured the use of smart phones and tablet computers by front-line law enforcement officers.
- 43% of respondents said they are equipped with both smart phones and tablet computers
- 32% said they have smart phones only
- 2% have tablet computers only
- 23% do not have either type of device
Law enforcement agency employees can find out what capabilities were most sought after in case management systems by requesting a full copy of the research report from Wynyard at “Request Report” and providing their professional email address.
Wynyard provides advanced criminal intelligence and investigations management software solutions to government, law enforcement, national and homeland agencies, enabling them to make the world safer and more secure.
Wynyard is a division of Wynyard Group, a leader in advanced criminal intelligence and security analytics software.
