Gerald Grobmeier was sworn in as the Deputy Chief of the Lethbridge Police Service in 2022, and said CompStat has helped the service to reduce crimes involving prolific offenders. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Crimes involving prolific offenders down in Lethbridge thanks to data analysis tool

Feb 15, 2024 | 9:04 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) said there has already been a reduction in cases involving prolific offenders since it started using a new tool for analyzing data.

The service started using CompStat, a data-driven model where analysts identify high-crime areas, prolific offenders, and the most effective deployments of police resources, in 2023 with the creation of its Crime and Strategic Analytics Section.

Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier said it has proven to be successful so far.

“LPS has been fully using and evolving the local CompStat model for almost a year with the objective of providing the right information to the right person at the right time and place in order to support data-based decisions,” said Grobmeier.

CompStat includes the categories of crimes against persons, crimes against property, and drugs. The five most prolific offenders in each category are identified based on the last three months of data.

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Since implementing this system, the LPS said there has been a 15 per cent reduction in occurrences involving people identified for monitoring and enforcement, as well as a 60 per cent drop in the Crime Severity Index for those offences.

Grobmeier explained that around one per cent of all offenders in the city account for over eight per cent of all crime.

“Actively targeting these individuals for apprehension if they are wanted and to enforce conditions and lay charges when appropriate, is critical to our offender management strategy and efforts to reduce crime in the community,” said Grobmeier.

CompStat was created by the New York Police Department in 1994 and has been leveraged by police services across the world over the last 30 years.

The use of it in Lethbridge is part of the LPS’ four-year strategic plan to help reduce crime.

READ MORE: Lethbridge Police launches crime and traffic maps

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