Vermont State Police captain says crime mapping is not that valuable

Vermont State Police Capt. Ray Keefe told members of Springfield's Project ACTION on Tuesday that he didn't think Springfield needed special computer mapping software to track crime in the town of 9,500 people.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150218/NEWS02/702189939

Published February 18, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Vermont State Police captain says crime mapping is not that valuable By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD – Vermont State Police Capt. Ray Keefe told members of Springfield’s Project ACTION on Tuesday that he didn’t think Springfield needed special computer mapping software to track crime in the town of 9,500 people. Keefe, who is the head of the VSP D Troop, which stretches from Royalton to Brattleboro, said that he had access to the same special mapping software that Springfield wants to buy via a fundraising drive, but didn’t think it was that helpful. Keefe said that he found shift reports a much more valuable tool to track crime in the southeastern quarter of the state. “Think simple,” said Keefe. “That works for me in this region.” He said the three daily shifts in the three different Vermont State Police barracks in D Troop file the reports. “I rely on that more than crime mapping,” he said. He said that “every case that’s punched” is listed in the daily shift reports. He said that the “human data” included in the reports gave him valuable information. Statistics don’t always tell an accurate picture, he said. Keefe said that Springfield Police Chief Douglas Johnston may disagree with him — and he did. Johnston told the Crime and Safety Subcommittee that he still favors the mapping software. Johnston had asked for the mapping software during the 2015-16 budget sessions, but the Springfield Select Board failed to endorse it. “I defer to the chief,” said Keefe, who said he has the state police dispatchers create the log. Springfield Police Detective Patrick Call said he supported getting the mapping software. He said that useful data would be readily available via the software, and that the data would also be useful to other agencies, not just the Springfield Police Department. Springfield Select Board member Stephanie Thompson, the main organizer for Project ACTION, told the 25 people gathered at the Springfield state prison visitors’ room that one of the goals of the group was to “build relationships and trust” among agencies working in Springfield, as well as town and school officials. She said that Project ACTION was patterned after Rutland City’s Project VISION. “We’re going to take the good things from Rutland and use what works for Springfield,” said Kristi Morris, chairman of the Springfield Select Board. Thompson said at the kick-off meeting last month that Project ACTION was Springfield’s attempt to address the drug and gang activity that have developed in town. Call, the police detective, said that the group should help the town “work more effectively as a community” on the issues that are confronting it.