" • Expect an increase in the availability of hardware devices based on any increase in system or application users. Consider the hardware users for Santa Barbara in a parallel comparison: The Santa Barbara "population includes all full-time employees and also includes Reserve Officers, volunteers, Explorers, temporary employees, and a small number of users that work at other city, county, and state departments that have access to portions of our systems."

• Expect an increase in capacity for data storage. With an expected increase in population, the CPD can expect a larger pool of transactional data for recording and updating.

• Expect a need for new software development and software integrations. To continue to improve its information technology program, the CPD will continue to develop new software to expand on mapping systems, statistical analysis of crimes, and police activity reporting. Furthermore, with a growing number of software applications, certain software integrations will become necessary to seamlessly access information and connect to a centralized database.

C. Need Analysis Process

The process for need analysis contained a few steps, as follows. (1) Assess the state of the CPD's information technology services and program. (2) Examine CPD's advancements or new technological developments. (3) Assess the CPD's software needs. (4) Assess the CPD's hardware needs. (5) Forecast according to growth in population and system user-ship. (6) Benchmark other police departments' information system needs in other geographical locations.

II. System Evaluation

A. History

In 1835, "the State of Illinois authorized the town of Chicago to establish its own police department ( CPD, 2013)." Its first milestone related to an information system occurred in 1881: "By installing booths equipped with...

CPD's information system, at present, represents a progression integrative technologies such as the cell phone, the Internet, and even smart boards as they each have emerged and proliferated.
B. System Strength and Weaknesses

The CPD's information system by far has an elaborate quantity of strengths. It allows personnel to access and process information swiftly, and work effectively. The CPD information system is scalable, extremely comprehensive but granular. One weakness about the system is its complexity and large size: it requires a lot of maintenance and significant architectural changes could be very laborious.

C. Recommendations

The CPD should look to use its current information system as a foundation for future developments. The CPD should augment its software applications already in place, and look to develop new software that will easily integrate with these core software applications. The CPD should also look to continue to furnish all personnel with hardware already in use.

Reference

CPD. (2013). A brief time history of the chicago police department. Retrieved from https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/About CPD/History

CPD. (2007). Technology update: staying ahead of the curve. Retrieved from https://portal.chicagopolice.org/portal/page/portal/ClearPath/News/Department

Publications/TechUpdate07.pdf

City of Santa Barbara. (2013). Information technology . Retrieved from http://www.santabarbaraca.gov/Government/Departments/Police/police_information_technology