Business Situation
Currently, when law enforcement officers are in the field and need to obtain citizen information, they can either radio or key in the suspect’s personal information to learn whether the individual has a criminal history. However, the information available to them is cumbersome to access as it exists across several local, state and federal locations. Inquiries that access data across all of these agencies may take hours to process. Without instantaneous access to this critical information, wanted felons may slip through law enforcement’s fingers again and again. Moreover, this gap in communication potentially puts officers in unnecessary danger, as it prevents them from fully understanding whom they are dealing with. The client seeks to dramatically enhance the safety of its officers and increase arrests of wanted criminals through a unique, mobile information system with access to county, state and federal databases.

Solution
The Department has commissioned Avanade to establish an information-providing platform for all local enforcement agencies that will integrate local, state, and federal databases. The solution will provide an extensible architecture to allow for the addition of any new data source or law enforcement agency. Upon completion of Phase I, the system will be able to retrieve a profile from the local Mugshots Database. In future releases, it will have access to the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles’ as well as other state and federal databases. Law enforcement officers will know instantaneously whether an individual has had a previous brush with the law or is the subject of any outstanding warrants. This next generation system will ultimately support 1,200 users and will be accessible from a variety of locations, including patrol cars and handheld devices.

Results 

• Immediate access to local, state and federal data allowing on-duty officers to rapidly determine what sort of precautions and action to take in delicate situations.
• Enhanced officer safety and opportunity to increase arrest levels by identifying outstanding warrants.
• Highly secure, innovative system that will serve as a model for law enforcement departments pursuing similar initiatives across the nation.