NCJ Number
221137
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 34 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2007 Pages: 10,12,14,16,17
Date Published
November 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the upcoming and effective use of the police departmental intranet, a technology linking agencies and officers in the fight against crime.
Abstract
Police intranet use is still basically in its infancy. The job of a criminal investigator that once consisted of hand compiling mugshots for a photographic line-up is now accomplished using computerized programs accessible through the departmental intranet. Where officers lugged enormous files to and from the district attorney’s office to prepare for trial, now they slip a CD into their pockets. With intranets linking agencies and officers, many are finding that there really is strength in numbers and even more strength in what those numbers already learned. An example, the Mesquite Police Department in a suburb of Dallas, TX uses an intranet to tap into other agencies ranging from the juvenile information system to the courts. Officers also access the intranet to monitor calls waiting, general order, fleet reports, impounds, beat information, and more. One of the newest features and most impressive into Mesquite’s intranet is a plate scanner. In addition to the intranet use within the Mesquite Police Department, the intranet applications affecting evidence is seen in both the areas of extraction and storage. However, an intranet system must be completely secured in order to work properly. When secured, the intranet provides more convenience combined with more speed and a way to search information much, much more efficiently. This article discusses and describes the many uses and benefits of the intranet for law enforcement agencies across the country.