Evaluation of an AVM system implemented city-wide in St. Louis

An Automatic Vehicle-Monitoring (AVM) system provides real-time location and status information for each vehicle in the system. Typically, the system would include a display showing a map of the city (presented in several scales) with cars, including their identification number, properly positioned on the map. This paper covers the evaluation of such a system implemented city-wide by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. The principal goal was reduction in response time. Other objectives included improved officer safety, more effective command and control, less voice band congestion because of the digital communications, and better supervision of the force. The evaluation results were unfavorable for response time reduction, favorable for improved operations due to digital communication, and mixed in the realization of other objectives. Poor system performance had some influence on the evaluation results. During the process of evaluation, it became clear that full system potential could not be assessed without some change in police procedures and operating methods. Such potential (which is yet to be verified) relates to the use of directed dispatch rather than the all points broadcast (APB) for extraordinary events; the dynamic reallocation of the force to maintain a patrol presence in areas where excessive calls for service have depleted the force availability; and better supervision of the force made possible by the new information that the AVM system supplies. An outgrowth of these potentials can be improved effectiveness of the force, greater productivity, and a cost-effective system. The evaluation methodology involves three separate analyses: technological, operational, and attitudinal. A cost-effective analysis is included.