Coplink binds local law enforcement around the country

| 03.06.2008 | 10:24:507821 |

March 6 '08: The Washington Post reported local law enforcement agencies around the country are linking their resources together through an online database allowing them to partner and share information. The technology, called Coplink was developed by Knowledge Computing Corporation and has been used by law enforcement agencies in Missouri who decided to pool their resources and federal grants to use the information-sharing network.

There, Government Computer News reported that the state-wide partnership among the state's law enforcement agencies "allows vast quantities of structured and seemingly unrelated data - including data stored in incompatible databases and records management systems - to be securely organized, consolidated and quickly analyzed over a secure intranet-based platform."

Congressional Quarterly (see "pool" link above) reported that Coplink joins more than 12,655 sworn, full time officers in 114 counties and 535 municipalities through the Missouri Data Exchange Project.

The Washington Post reported in one instance that police in Tucson, Arizona who were able to access records in San Diego and Orange County, California to come "up with the name of a particular suspect, his age and a possible address. ... Up popped a display with the suspect at center and cartoon-like images of houses, buildings and people arrayed around him. A final click on one of those houses brought up the address of an apartment and several new names," and possible leads.

Officials using the new technology have said they are working to balance civil liberties with concerns over the safety and security of their community. Tucson Police Chief Richard Miranda told the Washington Post, "The power behind what we have discovered, what we can do with Coplink is immense. ... [But] I don't want people in my community to feel we're behind every little tree and surveilling them. If there's any kind of inkling that we're misusing our power and our technology, that trust will be destroyed."

National Blueprint Tags: Intelligence and Situational Awareness P3, Legal & Intergovernmental P3.