Points of Interest

1. Points of Interest For Communications Computer-Aided Dispatch

2. Outline • Communication’s Location Database • POI Database • How POI are used for Incident Response • POI maintenance • Transforming & Creating POI for CAD • Data Verification • Incident Reporting • Summary

3. Communication’s Location Database The location databases used by Communication’s Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system are essential to the incident response management. They are the reference for: • Incident location • Determining jurisdiction • Previous incident information • Checks for duplicate calls • Unit recommendations • Warnings, messages and flags • Reporting – e.g. for resources management

4. Points of Interest • POI are essential since a large percentage of calls for service relate to a location name or description rather than street address • Sourced from government departments • Geonoma, service stations, mines, educational institutions, licensed premises, shopping centres, banks, some fast food franchises, hospitals, clinics, fire stations, bus, train, ferry, aboriginal communities, police stations, consulates, jetties, bridges • Created by Communications • Water locations, gun shops, video shops, fast food, critical infrastructure, post offices, chemists, user requests • Locations well known locally to police but not of interest to general public e.g. may be a particular medium strip, tree or section of park • Currently about 32 000 POI maintained by Communications

5. How POI are Used for Incident Response • Call received through 000 or 131444 and call agent creates job on CAD • any intelligence associated to the location is linked at this point

6. How POI are Used for Incident Response • Incident appears on dispatcher console • The dispatcher allocates a unit recommended by CAD or to a police station or incident management unit • When the unit is allocated, the dispatcher relays any intelligence associated with the location to the responders, e.g. • Persons at Risk, Persons of Interest, Dangerous Goods\Critical Infrastructure, Key Holder Information, Special Operations • The intelligence associated with the location may increase the priority of the job

7. How POI are Used for Incident Response The job appears on the TADIS\Mobile device of the tasked unit. If location is unknown, the POI can be quickly located on the TADIS map using a Common Place search.

8. How POI are Used for Incident Response • Where available, preplan information is linked to locations e.g. floor plans, emergency plans, StreetSmart enlargements • Available on both desktop and in-vehicle

9. Maintaining POI • Preparing to meet CAD specification • Managing currency, accuracy, geocoding • Old addresses e.g. lot changed to street address • Overlaps and mismatches between data sources • Managing update cycles • Mismatch between POI addresses and PSA • Setting naming conventions and abbreviation standards • Defining classification, symbolisation

10. User Requests E-mail Service Desk Telephone Web App Incident Analysis Text Licensed Premises Business Names Spatial Police Stations Health Fire Stations Petrol Stations Web based feedback system developed but generated low interest from custodians so not pursued further CAD Common Place DB Incremental Update Merge Value Add Geocode non-spatial Clean &Reformat ArcSDE\ArcObjects\VB.Net\SQL Server Verification Transforming & Creating POI for CAD

11. Data Verification • Most resource intensive of processes • Performed both programmatically and manually (with the aid of tools developed for ArcMap\ArcEditor) • A variety of information sources and data layers may be utilised, e.g. • Ortho photos, cadastre, RCL, PSA, StreetSmart • AVS • Internet, white pages, yellow pages • Local knowledge of officers • Typical anomalies: spelling incorrect on street names, incorrect street types, wrong suburb, wrong street number, physical location incorrect, unfriendly formats

12. Incident Reporting • A good POI database assists accurate reporting E.g. can answer questions like: “how many priority 1-4 incidents occurred at this common place in the last 3 months?” • Assists in mapping results • E.g. determining location hot-dots

13. Summary • POI high value for incidence response • used for quick search, linking intelligence and reporting • Sourced from various outside agencies and created in-house • A lot of manipulation required to meet CAD specifications and standards • Maintenance is resource intensive • In-house development required to handle volume