Many American law enforcement agencies still depend on paper-based traffic reporting, which not only lengthens the data collection process for officers at the roadside but can also delay the identification and mitigation of existing traffic problem areas in the community. This leads to less efficient resource allocation.

Traditional paper reporting does not provide the same level of data visualizations that can help agencies pinpoint traffic problem areas as online solutions. Robust, relationship-oriented data, found primarily in crash data, can help agencies leverage information across a variety of categories, expanding on traffic safety improvements to fueling investigations such as locating people and vehicles to help combat drug and human trafficking.

Additionally, at the scene of an accident, the inefficient paper-based processes can add to an already traumatic experience for accident victims and needlessly increase the workload for officers and law enforcement agencies. After the lengthy reporting process at the accident scene, crash victims traditionally will have to wait for a printed copy of their crash report while law enforcement agencies manually process insurance carrier requests—searching through paper files for each individual report, making copies, and distributing them by mail to the proper parties.

Today’s communities are comprised of digital consumers accustomed to quick turnaround times for most of their daily needs. Therefore, they also expect law enforcement agencies to provide speedy, online service and convenience, regardless of the agency’s size and the details of the report, especially since the report is often required to begin the restoration process through a claim with their insurance carrier.

The Solution

As technology advances, modern law enforcement agencies cannot continue to rely on antiquated paper-based reporting processes. One solution that can increase agency efficiency and community satisfaction with faster and more convenient crash report distribution is LexisNexis BuyCrash.

BuyCrash streamlines the process and distribution of crash reports by digitizing paper reports, thereby reducing agencies’ administrative burden and allowing for crash victims to access their reports faster. Report distribution can now happen 24/7 and is no longer confined to when an individual can physically pick up the paper copy or wait for it to arrive in the mail, as crash victims can download reports at their convenience. Reports are also available for insurance carriers, making it a triple win for agencies, carriers, and citizens. BuyCrash also provides agencies with a potential revenue-generating opportunity through the sale of crash reports to authorized parties, for example attorneys, allowing for these resources to be re-invested into the community.

BuyCrash helps law enforcement agencies maximize the value of crash data through two free features available with the product: Crash Mapper and Dashboards, and Investigative Insights. These products can reveal relationships illustrated by crash data that would not be found otherwise through traditional paper reporting.

Crash Mapper and Dashboards leverage data to build interactive maps and graphs that help law enforcement agencies prevent crashes and save more lives. This feature can identify traffic hotspots, issues and trends in seconds, enabling agencies to efficiently deploy patrols based on peak or recurring activity.

With Crash Mapper and Dashboards law enforcement agencies can filter crash data through key lenses, such as location, causation, time of day, day of the week, pedestrian and additional demographic data such as the presence of teens or the elderly, allowing for law enforcement agencies to place appropriate enforcement at critical locations during key times. Examples of key times include arrival and dismissal times at school, happy hour and weekend nights at restaurants and bars, or grocery and big-box stores during senior discount hours. Additionally, this tool can provide detailed crash statistics to support federal grant applications or special initiatives, as well as data for neighborhood meetings and command staff reviews.

BuyCrash also includes free access to Investigative Insights, a tool that helps law enforcement agencies uncover critical data about people, vehicles and incidents that can only be found in crash reports, revealing information that might not have been discovered otherwise. Investigative Insights hosts a robust searchable database of community members accident reports, with VINs and accident reports added every day. This information is searchable by person (name, address, etc.), vehicle (VIN, license plate information, etc.), or by incident (location, date, etc.), and the results will include all individuals related to the vehicle or person when the law enforcement officer generated the crash report.

Investigative Insights also allows agencies to create alerts to flag when the name of a suspect or person of interest enters the database, creating a valuable connection. With reports from most law enforcement agencies across the country,  Investigative Insights allows for agencies at all levels to cast a broad net into auto accident information and catch relevant insights to assist in investigative efforts that might not have been discovered otherwise. This allows law enforcement agencies to get as much information out of crash data as possible, which is crucial in the fight against drug and human trafficking, where agencies need as many data points as possible for investigative work.

BuyCrash in Action

Lansing PD

Law enforcement agencies across the country are already using BuyCrash and seeing improvements not only within the agency but within the community as a whole.

The Lansing (Michigan) Police Department has taken a proactive approach to addressing traffic safety concerns in their city, resulting in a 50% reduction of crash incidents over a ten-year time period. Using Crash Mappers and Dashboards, Lansing PD was able to study factors such as collision types, contributing factors and traffic flow patterns to pinpoint high-risk areas needing intervention. These findings additionally enabled them to secure state grant funding to support their interventions in these problem areas.

LPD implemented a multifaceted approach to address the identified high-accident intersections, which were developed based on the advanced data analytics they now had access to through BuyCrash:

1. Lower speed limits on all roads approaching the cross-roads

2. Increase patrol during school’s start and dismissal

3. Strictly enforce traffic laws, such as speed limits, stop lights and crosswalks

4. Install additional traffic infrastructure that can effectively reduce the risk of crashes (e.g., speed humps, roundabouts, and chicanes)

5. Educate the community on safe driving behaviors: avoid distractions, wear seatbelts and never drive after drinking or taking drugs

LPD leveraged crash data to build a multi-faceted approach to advance their data sophistication level and moved from a reactive to a proactive, preventive strategy that focused on these five key elements and improved their police work on many levels. Internally, they had a broader view and understanding of the assignments for law enforcement officers on the street.

Additionally, Crash Mapper and Dashboards illustrated for the agency where, when and why crashes were happening in the community, leading to appropriate enforcements. Externally, LPD shared their insights with key community stakeholders (while adhering to data privacy rules), thereby building collaboration and accountability with the community and increasing transparency surrounding how LPD is keeping their streets and neighborhoods safe. Through targeted enforcement measures and increased public awareness, LPD has reduced crash incidents in the targeted hotspots by 50% since 2013.

Replacing outdated paper reporting methods with an online solution such as LexisNexis BuyCrash, frees up key law enforcement officer resources by eliminating the need to manually capture and sort paper reports, extending benefits into the community at large. Free tools included with BuyCrash (Crash Mapper and Dashboards, and Investigative Insights) allow agencies to maximize the usage of their crash data to pinpoint key problem areas and adjust officer resources before preventable accidents occur or crimes takes place.

Steve Person is strategic accounts manager for LexisNexis Coplogic Solutions. He is a retired lieutenant from the Lansing (Michigan) Police Department who has dedicated 35 years to law enforcement, focusing on data-driven solutions to empower agencies and communities.