Locations tab

This topic describes the Locations tab on the Case management view, which by default is located at the left of the ESPA analysis center screen. However if you require step-by-step procedures on using this tab refer to Using the Locations tab.

The ESPA analysis center screen's Locations tab allows you to view and edit the locations in the case, and add new locations, however currently it does not have all the features which are available on the Locations of interest screen, such as the ability to delete a location and upload a location file. You can also open the Location information window, which provides all the same features as on the Locations of interest screen with the exception of managing pictures and target development files.

The following graphic shows the differences between the ESPA analysis center's Locations tab and the Locations of interest screen (Case management).

This lists all the locations that have been added to the case, with separate lists for the Analysis locations and View locations. Click on a location to view or edit the details. If you edit the details you must click Save otherwise any changes you make are lost if you move to another screen. To delete existing locations click , then from the dialog box, select the check-box next to the locations you want to delete then click Delete selected.

If you are working with tower dump and geofence files, then locations that have been created automatically by OSS-ESPA are also listed here.

If you have uploaded a tower dump or geofence file containing data for multiple locations OSS-ESPA creates locations to identify each separate location it identifies in the file, and names them depending on what you had selected in File location when you uploaded the file. If you selected:

  • Detect location in key file, then the locations are named using the latitudes and longitudes in the file.
  • Automatically create a generic location, then the locations are named "Location<n>".
  • Detect location in file, then new locations are named using the address in the uploaded file.
  • A named location but the file actually contained multiple locations then the new locations are named <uploaded file name>_TL<n>.

If you have uploaded a subscriber information file OSS-ESPA creates a location to identify the home address detailed in the file. It names this "<person name> residence".

Click to create an additional location for the case.

The map is displayed for a location that has the address details completed. If you're adding a new address then this is done when you click either of the Locate buttons and then select an address on the Located results dialog box. The map allows you to preview and verify the position of the location. It also allows you to view the distance set in the Location buffer covers the area you require it to.

This setting is mandatory. Enter a name for the location that is meaningful to you, for example Jewelry store or Suspect's main residence.

This setting is mandatory. Select the type of location. The location is then displayed on the ESPA analysis center screen, Sentinel screen, IQ packets, advanced analysis reports and real time tracking alerts with the appropriate icon.

The Notes type is not typically created as a location from here. The Notes type is used to create a note on the map of the ESPA analysis center screen for use in advanced analysis reports, and is typically added to the case using the Target location information dialog box as it allows you to click on the map to easily define the location you want to anchor your note to.

If an existing location was created from a polygon, line or arrow on the ESPA analysis center screen then the location type cannot be changed from its default of either Polygon or Drawing.

If the location you are adding is one of an IP address that you can then use on the Sentinel screen for live social media traffic or in Smart Track alerts then select IP location, then enter the address inIP address.

Click to manage the types of locations that are available. OSS-ESPA provides specific location types but you can add your own if required. For further information refer to the Edit location types dialog box.

Select only if you want to customize how the location icon marker is displayed in the ESPA analysis center screen, advanced analysis reports and IQ packets.

  • select a color, then in Marker label enter the characters to create a colored icon with two characters.
  • "Custom", then click Icons to select an alternative icon or to upload your own.

The default icons are shown in the following graphic.

This button is only available when Marker icon is set to "Custom". Click to open the Available target location icons dialog box which provides you with a large selection of alternative marker icons and also allows you to upload your own icons.

This setting is only applicable if Marker icon is set to one of the color options. Enter up to two characters to customize how the location icon marker is displayed in the ESPA analysis center screen, advanced analysis reports and IQ packets.

Enter the address details of the target location.

This is displayed beside both the Street address and Latitude/Longitude. Enter which type of details you know then click to open the Find results dialog box which lists the possible locations. If you select one it automatically completes the latitude and longitude or address details based on the location details you have already entered on the screen. It also displays the location along with the location buffer on the map.

Enter the contact information of the owner of the location.

This setting is only applicable if Location type is set to IP location.

This setting allows you to add the IP addresses of the location. This is useful if you are monitoring a PRTT of a person's social media account as it allows you to define the location of an IP address so that the location of any social media traffic using the IP address is saved as a geolocation record and the device's location is then automatically displayed on for example the Sentinel screen. You can also select to include the IP address's location in the geofence, reverse geofence, multi-phone proximity and accuracy Smart Track alerts.

You can enter a single IP address, or multiple IP addresses either in a range or in a comma-separated list. For example the following formats are all supported:

99.199.199.10
99.199.199.0/255.255.255.0
99.199.199.10 - 99.199.199.20
99.199.199.10-20
99.199.199.0/16

This setting is only applicable if the Location Information window is opened from the Global location management screen.

Either leave this set to the default of your account, or if you want to share the global location with other accounts you can change it to System.

This setting is only applicable if your account is configured to include analytics.

Select if you want to:

  • include the location in the analysis results on the Mission set preview screen.

  • ensure that OSS-ESPA verifies you have completed all the settings required for the location to be included in all other analyses when you click Save. The settings required are: the Time buffer, Latitude, Longitude, Event start, Event end and Location buffer.

NOTE: For all other analyses, if your location includes all the required settings it is automatically used as an analysis location even when Include this location in analytics is disabled.

For further information on how these settings help you refer to Understanding location analytics.

Enter the event start date and time for the location. For example if it is a crime scene you can enter the date and time the crime started.You can use the date and time pickers to enter the details, or you can enter them manually. If you enter them manually note that the date format used is month/day/year. If you do not select a time a default time of 12:00 am is used. The date and time are required for multiple purposes:

  • They are used to include the location on the Timeline tab of the ESPA analysis center screen.
  • They are used in analytics to determine if the person was at a location during the event time.
  • They are used in advanced reports when you select Add selected calls as description, the call description in the report then displays the call time in relation to the event start date and time. They are also displayed in the report if you select Add selected target locations.
  • They are used in the optional IQ packets to determine if the person was at a location during the eventtime. Note, although it is not mandatory to enter the eventstart and end times to create the location initially, it is required before the location can be included for analysis in an IQ packet.

Enter the event end date and time for the location. For example if it is a meeting area that you know was used over a certain period you can enter the date and time the meeting ended. You can use the date and time pickers to enter the details, or you can enter them manually. If you enter them manually note that the date format used is month/day/year. If you do not select a time a default time of 12:00 am is used. The date and time are required for multiple purposes:

  • They are used to include the location on the Timeline tab of the ESPA analysis center screen.
  • They are used in analytics to determine if the person was at a location during the event time.
  • They are used in advanced reports when you select Add selected calls as description, the call description in the report then displays the call time in relation to the event start date and time. They are also displayed in the report if you select Add selected target locations.
  • They are used in the optional IQ packets to determine if the person was at a location during the eventtime. Note, although it is not mandatory to enter the eventstart and end times to create the location initially, it is required before the location can be included for analysis in an IQ packet.

Enter the number of hours prior to and after the location's event, that you believe device information is relevant for your case. The total time period used for analyses is calculated using this time buffer period along with the time you entered for the event's start and end. For example, if you entered a start time of 7 pm, an end time of 8 pm and a time buffer of 1 hour, then your analysis is performed over 6 pm to 9 pm.

It is recommended that this total time period is for a few hours. If the total time period is too large, for example 100 hours, it may generate an error when you run an IQ packet report.

Enter a radius for the location buffer which is used in:
  • the Person's device at location analysis that is displayed on the Call analyses tab. The location used in the analysis includes the radius around the latitude/longitude which is specified by this location buffer.
  • advanced analysis reports to include in the call description, the details for the call in relation to any locations if the call was within the location's Location buffer setting.
  • live call location monitoring to define the location. The location used in live location monitoring includes the radius around the latitude/longitude which is specified by this location buffer. If you specify a location buffer here then any value set using Location buffer on the Add/Edit smart track alert screen is ignored.
  • the "Person's device at location" analysis that is included in IQ packets. The location used in the analysis includes the radius around the latitude/longitude which is specified by this location buffer.

Enter the latitude of the location. You must enter both the latitude and longitude if you want the location to display on the map on the ESPA analysis center screen, and if you want thelocation included in IQ packets, advanced analysis reports, analyses and live location monitoring. If you do not know the latitude click Locate and use the Located results dialog box which automatically determines the latitude and longitude based on the address details.

Enter the longitude of the location. You must enter both the latitude and longitude if you want the location to display on the map on the ESPA analysis center screen, and if you want the location included in IQ packets, advanced analysis reports, analyses and live location monitoring. If you do not know the longitude click Locate and use the Located results dialog box which automatically determines the latitude and longitude based on the address details.

Enter a description of the location. This information is displayed as a pop-up on the map on the ESPA analysis center screen along with the details you enter in Name.

This tab allows you to quickly set a geo-fence or reverse geo-fence alert for the location. These alerts are automatically added to the Smart Track alerts & notifications screen and you can manage other aspects of the alert from there, such as which phone numbers or vehicles you want to monitor at the location.

If you are doing live location monitoring, select if you want to monitor when a phone or vehicle enters the buffer area surrounding the location. If a live location monitoring event occurs for a phone or vehicle within the defined area then OSS-ESPA will send you a Smart Track notification.

If you are doing live location monitoring, select if you want to monitor when a phone or vehicle leaves the buffer area surrounding the location. If a live location monitoring event occurs for a phone or vehicle within the defined area then OSS-ESPA will send you a Smart Track notification.

The Hyperlinks tab allows you to add and manage any useful hyperlinks related to the location. These hyperlinks are then displayed on the ESPA analysis center screen's Target locations tab, and also if you select the location on the map and choose to view the location details on the Target location information dialog box. They are included in live location monitoring notification emails, the IQ packet Excel downloads and you can also include these hyperlinks in your advanced analysis reports when you add the locations as described in To add target location information to a report.

Click to add an additional hyperlink for the location.

Click to the right of the hyperlink details to display a menu which containsEdit hyperlink.

Click if you want to edit the hyperlink. If you edit the details you must click Save to save any changes otherwise any changes you make are lost if you move to another screen.

Click to the right of the hyperlink details to display a menu which containsDelete hyperlink.

Click if you want to delete the hyperlink.

Enter any useful URL related to the location. This information is then included in IQ packets, advanced analysis reports and Smart Track notification emails.

Click to save the location's URL.