Lethbridge police say using CompStat to fight crime is proving effective
Lethbridge police have adopted a way of managing prolific offenders using data called CompStat, first used by the New York Police Department in 1994.
Since then, the model has been used by police agencies around the world.
Police in Lethbridge began using the model last year.
Even though it's only been in use in the southern Alberta city for a short while, it's already become a crucial tool.
"It allows us to deploy our resources in a more effective manner," said Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier.
"We can be very strategic in deploying those limited resources we have."
CompStat tracks the five most prolific offenders in a variety of categories.
These include crimes against persons, crimes against property and drugs.
Monitoring just a few offenders responsible for the most crimes can have a big impact.
"About one per cent of the offenders in Lethbridge account for eight per cent of the overall crime," Grobmeier said.
"Actively targeting these individuals for apprehension if they are wanted, enforcing conditions and laying charges when appropriate is critical to our offender management strategy and efforts to reduce crime."
The model can also identify areas with high crime rates and addresses often linked to crime.
"By targeting those hot-spot areas or problem areas and dealing with the small group that's doing most of the crime … it's been shown across Canada and the United States, that can have an effect on the crime rate within the city," Grobmeier said.
Subjects being monitored have seen a 15 per cent drop in crime.
There's also been a 60 per cent reduction in the crime severity index for these offences.
"With this target enforcement with utilizing our resources in the most effective manner, it has shown it can have a positive effect on crime and reduce some of those crime rates," Grobmeier said.
Lethbridge police say by reporting offences, the public helps the model become more effective.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Liberal MP says she's leaving politics over disrespectful dialogue, threats, misogyny
Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she won't run again in the next federal election, saying she has experienced misogyny, disrespectful dialogue in politics and threats to her life.
Concerns about Plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall Plexiglass barriers.
Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
OPP officer said 'someone's going to get hurt' before wrong-way Hwy. 401 crash
As multiple Durham police cruisers were chasing a robbery suspect on the wrong side of Highway 401 Monday night, an Ontario Provincial Police officer shared his concerns, telling a dispatcher, "Someone's going to get hurt."
Ont. woman who faked pregnancy to defraud doulas arrested again on similar charges
Victims of a Brantford, Ont., woman who was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for defrauding and deceiving doulas say they’re not surprised she’s been apprehended again on similar charges.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
Archeologists have unearthed the skeletons of five people, missing their hands and feet, at a former Nazi military base in Poland.
Poilievre returns to House unrepentant for calling Trudeau 'wacko,' Speaker not resigning
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Construction begins on LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa
Shovels have hit the ground for constuction on Canada's LGBTQ2S+ national monument in Ottawa.
B.C. man awarded $5,000 in damages in first-of-it-kind intimate image case
In a first-of-its-kind case, a B.C. tribunal has ruled on a dispute involving the non-consensual sharing of intimate images, awarding damages and issuing orders that the photos be destroyed and taken offline.