NCJ Number
205586
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2004 Pages: 34-36
Date Published
April 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the software package, Investigation Management System (IMS) by Optimum Technology, which was designed to manage police drug investigations involving diverted pharmaceuticals.
Abstract
Police officers in small, rural agencies must often conduct drug investigations without the benefit of daily conferences with fellow investigators. Cases involving rural drug dealing may spread out over several jurisdictions and over thousands of square miles; keeping current with fellow investigators becomes problematic in such instances. The IMS was designed especially for these types of police situations. IMS allows officers working in multiple locations to communicate relevant information to other officers in a timely manner. The database allows entries and queries by numerous authorized users so that multiple officers can gain access to the latest information concerning diverted pharmaceutical investigations. For example, when new leads are discovered, an officer can input the new leads into the database, which will be highlighted in red until an officer is assigned to follow-up on the lead. Due dates for responses can be programmed and if the due date passes with no update, the lead appears in blue boldface. By continually adding elements of investigations to the database, patterns may begin to emerge that may guide the investigations. IMA also provides a number of reporting options, including the ability to create geographic maps by linking with Microsoft MapPoint. Another advantage of the IMS system is that it is less complex, and less costly, than comparable systems on the market. Cost per user totals approximately $1,000. The system is user-friendly and on-site training is available for an additional cost. Although IMS was designed for drug investigations, the system has been used successfully in Ohio to investigate white collar crimes. Finally, the article briefly describes Motor One, a software package from PVP Communications that eliminates the need for a hardwired connection between the handlebar transmit key of a police motorcycle and the officer’s radio headset.