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Canadian system helps police worldwide LINK clues to crimes
Police investigators in cities around the globe are able to more effectively connect clues, share data with neighbouring police units, and maintain greater data security using a Canada-made records management system, Niche RMS.4/16/2009 8:00:00 AM By: Michelle MacLeod
See related story: Peel Police boost public safety with new records management system
A records management system (RMS) from a Canadian firm is helping police officers in Victoria, Australia better investigate crimes.
Appropriately renamed LINK by the Victoria Police, Niche RMS enables investigators to tie the new clues they uncover to previous cases, crimes or criminals.
It also helps investigators more efficiently store and retrieve information relevant to their cases.
The RMS system has been designed by Winnipeg-based Niche Technology Inc.
It's so popular with the Victoria police that they are using it to replace their legacy Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP), which lacks today's modern security checks and isn't as efficient at running searches.
LINK will help officers streamline crime reports, traffic collisions, arrest warrants, booking and bail charges, court documents, licenses and permits, and evidence.
The software transformation complements a cultural shift happening within the force over the last few years, according to Darrell Stephenson, superintendent with the Victoria Police.
The state's goal, he said, is to ensure members use records management tools to do their jobs effectively, rather than abuse them by running personal checks on their vehicles, looking up friends or associates out of curiosity, or viewing files outside the scope of their authority.
A big problem with the legacy LEAP system is it didn't provide any way of knowing which personnel were viewing, printing, updating, or sharing data on their system, Stephenson said.
By contrast, he said, LINK will improve visibility into how officers are using the system. Its audit capabilities will allow officers to track who looks at what data, what information was printed, whether that person has the authority to seek information, and why.
It will also give top personnel the ability to block access to secret evidence related to an investigation.
While the Victoria Police's installation won't be complete until the fall of this year, the organization's cultural improvements have already resulted in a drop in security breaches.
In 2007-2008, there were 26 breaches, down from 47 in the previous year.
And the Victoria police is one of many global police organizations that use Niche RMS to enhance investigative and records monitoring capabilities.
Page Navigation 1) Victoria police move from LEAP to LINK. – Page 12) "Its search capability is amazing." – Page 2
3) Stringing incidents together and identifying connections. – Page 3
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