The Potential Costs of Police Databases: Exploring the Performance of California's Gang Database (CalGang)

Informatics and databases used to track crime are an increasing part of crime prevention strategies and hold promise for identifying individuals likely to be involved in crime so they can be more easily tracked to prevent future crimes. This article uses cost analysis techniques to explore the utility of California's gang prevention database (CalGang) from 1997 to 2010. Costs included the primary operating costs of the database and secondary costs associated with Type I and Type II errors. CalGang tracks more than 235,000 individuals implicated in gang activity statewide. Although the primary costs of operating the database were relatively low, secondary costs resulting from errors were much larger and led to an overall greater cost to society. In addition, it appears that CalGang has not been successful in reducing the rate of gang-related crime in Los Angeles. Resources for CalGang may be better spent on other crime prevention activities that are less costly to society and lead to greater prevention.