Information management strategies to combat crime and prevent losses

Abstract

In South Africa, crime is becoming increasingly diverse, sophisticated and difficult to combat. Criminologists believe that specific knowledge, skills and attitudes are required to address crime, criminals and victims. Communities and businesses feel that the police is not coping with the rising crime. High levels of property related crimes have forced communities and business entities to provide for their own security. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington have helped shape new policies, strategies and operations of policing agencies and private security services across the world. Poor crime information management was found to be the main weakness in policies, strategies and operations. Crime information and analysis were not considered to be important in the sequence of activities aimed at conceiving, implementing and evaluating measures to combat crime and preventing losses before 9/11 as the focus was on reactive policing. Practitioners have started to view crime information management and analysis from a new paradigm. The information environment has changed the approach of the security practitioner. Information management is now considered fundamental for decision-making and the formulation of security strategies. The aim of this article is to examine information management strategies that have been successfully used to combat crime and prevent losses.