Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/189636
ON THE JOB NEWS DISCIPLINE JUST HANDED DOWN SOCIAL MEDIA RANGEMASTER MISSION CRITICAL SYSTEMS CODY and Lehigh County, Pa. Create Multi-Agency Information Sharing Network Delivering integrated justice By Myles Tillotson Myles Tillotson is a writer specializing in public safety and biometric indentifcation solutions. He can be reached at mylestillotson@verizon.net. wwwcodysystems.com A deadly shooting outside a Bethlehem, Pa. nightclub in January left the police department and the Lehigh County District Attorney's Homicide Task Force with leads but no suspect. However, investigators quickly uncovered information stored in a neighboring community's police records management system (RMS) through a search of the County's COBRA. net data sharing system, which ultimately helped identify the suspect. COBRA.net is the nexus of a groundbreaking countywide integrated-justice information network in Lehigh County, Pa. that provides real-time access to cross-jurisdictional RMS and booking information. From offcers on the street running a name/vehicle check to investigators searching countywide to fnd that piece of evidence that could help close a case (like the Bethlehem shooting), the network helps law enforcement across the county fght crime every day. And through paperless incident report exchange with the Lehigh County District Attorney's Offce and centralized e-booking at the county jail, the solution fosters true collaboration across the criminal justice community. This information sharing network is powered by a set of integrated solutions provided by Pennsylvania-based CODY Systems, built on their standards-based COBRA.net data integration foundation. The integrated solution includes modules for countywide RMS, as well data exchange with all PDs, the County Jail, DA's Offce and regional real-time crime center. Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin, who helped guide the vision of the network, says, "CODY has played a pivotal role in our success. And it's more than just their software. They've provided the expertise, the experience and the commitment to ensure that the solution that powers our integrated justice network serves all law enforcement personnel across Lehigh County." The Goal: Countywide Records Management and Sharing The process of building the Lehigh County integrated RMS and justice network began over fve years ago when police chiefs across the county joined together to solve a common problem. Located within 100 miles of New York City, Lehigh County is at the core of one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. Criminals—and their behavior—can move easily across its mix of closely linked urban, suburban and rural communities. Chief Douglas Kish of the Catasauqua Police Department, who was President of the county Police Chiefs 24 LAW and ORDER I October 2013 Association at the time, recalls the 2008 decision: "We knew how important access to real-time, countywide information was to our offcers in the feld, as well as our DA, so this was our primary goal." To reach this goal, the chiefs began the search for a proven RMS that they could implement, maintain, and use separately but that would be part of a larger, real-time network, allowing them to easily share information among themselves and with the DA's Offce. An RMS can improve productivity and effciency by reducing reporting time and duplicate data entry, but it's the use of that information—by other offcers and law enforcement agencies—that can really make a difference. "There were fve or six RMS systems in use in the county that couldn't exchange information with one another," the chief said. "That needed to change." After a thorough evaluation, the county decided to partner with CODY Systems to provide the end-to-end integrated justice solution the chiefs envisioned. "We were honored to be selected by Lehigh County to partner with them on this solution," commented Frances Heffner, President of CODY Systems. "Lehigh County is now one of seven COBRA.net-powered initiatives in Pennsylvania, which are part of our growing nationwide list, including state-wide exchange networks like the Missouri Data Exchange (MoDEx)". Lehigh County Executive, Tom Muller, was also heavily involved in the county's decision to partner with CODY. "It has exceeded even my hopes," Exec. Muller said. "To see how this system has come together and grown over the years is a testament to the leadership and commitment this important project has had from the beginning from both the county and CODY." The Integrated Justice Solution: Step 1 – Countywide RMS The frst step in the process was providing CODY Records Anywhere to the participating agencies through funding provided by the county and technical assistance from the DA's Offce. With focus and collaboration, this was completed in under 10 months. "CODY came out (to each agency) and did a site assessment and told us what infrastructure we needed," Chief Kish said. "When it came time, we