To save money, time and lives, Dakota County—along with 11 cities—established the Criminal Justice Information Integration Network, which uses the latest technology to share information quickly and accurately between law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges and probation officers who work together to make our communities safer.
The Criminal Justice Information Integration Network uses web-based tools to allow law enforcement agencies to electronically enter, track, access and share data across agency boundaries in seconds. It eliminates the paper processes that slow information sharing between criminal justice agencies, increases accuracy of information, saves time and increases public and officer safety by offering:
Online crime briefings
Instead of relying on paper crime briefings that were out-of-date as soon as an officer went on patrol, officers can view, enter, track and share information on missing or wanted persons, warrants, stolen vehicles, predatory offenders or other occurrences online throughout their shift.
The information is available to others within seconds, so if a car is stolen in Eagan, officers in Burnsville will immediately know and can be on the lookout.
Previously, access to information was limited to each jurisdiction. Sharing information across agency lines required a series of phone calls, faxes and driving back and forth between various offices. With more than half a dozen databases in Dakota County that hold information at the city, county and state level, that meant a lot of waiting.
Information "hub" for all data
The online information “hub” allows law enforcement to access any of the databases from their vehicle or laptop.
Now, if an officer arrests someone for a stolen vehicle, a single online search will provide them with any warrant, arrest or probation information, driving records, orders for protection, license photos and or other criminal information they may need.
The information is at their fingertips in the field, where they need it to perform their jobs.
Electronic forms
There are a lot of forms to fill out when making an arrest. Often these forms require the same information—name, date of birth, address. Electronic forms eliminate the need to manually fill out each form.
Officers can enter the information once and copy it onto other forms. Once complete, the forms can be electronically routed to those who need them—the jail, if an officer is bringing someone in, or other law enforcement staff to report incidents or arrests.
Electronic forms eliminate the need to print and fax forms, increasing the quality and timeliness of communication.
Each month more than 6,000 electronic forms—incident reports, tow sheets, arrest reports, vehicle theft reports— are created by communities in the Criminal Justice Information Integration Network.