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Missouri to Deploy
COPLINK® Statewide to Support Local and State Law Enforcement in
Crime Solving and Anti-Terrorism Initiatives
NIEM and LEXS API Compliant Solution
Tucson, AZ ---
1/8/2008
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Knowledge Computing Corporation today
announced that its award-winning COPLINK® solution suite will be
deployed by the State of Missouri to support comprehensive information
sharing and collaboration among local and state law enforcement for
solving crimes and thwarting terrorism. The Company's COPLINK solution
and team were selected after a highly competitive process.
Missouri-based Professional Services & Resources, Inc. (PSRI) will serve
as a subcontractor to Knowledge Computing Corp. Funding for the project,
known as Missouri Data Exchange (MoDex), was made possible by a unique
partnership between state and local law enforcement, which together,
pooled federal funding to maximize the initiative's reach, effectiveness
and return on investment.
"Local law enforcement buy-in and active participation have consistently
proven to be the cornerstone of the most effective law enforcement
information sharing initiatives across the country," said Robert
Griffin, CEO of Knowledge Computing Corp. Missouri's thought leadership
in approaching a statewide initiative this way, and in choosing a proven
performer at the local, state, regional and federal level like COPLINK,
is an effective model for other states planning to implement criminal
information sharing initiatives."
"Government has a fundamental duty to keep our streets, our schools, and
our neighborhoods safe, so that Missourians can reach their full
potential," said Missouri Governor Matt Blunt." We have already seen the
tremendous benefits of information sharing through the Missouri
Information Analysis Center, and I commend local law enforcement for
their vision and foresight to bring this software to Missouri. By
working together they will be able to provide a tremendous asset to
build on MIAC's success and strengthen and protect our communities."
"I know from my own experience in law enforcement that access to
accurate and timely information and intelligence will help save lives,"
said Mark James, Director of the Department of Public Safety. "This data
sharing program will give law enforcement the advantage against
criminals by identifying relationships, associations and patterns that
will help us solve more crimes and increase public safety across
Missouri by getting offenders off the street more quickly."
COPLINK provides unparalleled analysis and decision support for rapidly
identifying criminal suspects, relationships and patterns that help
solve crime and thwart terrorism. Using a NIEM and LEXS API compliant
interface, it works by allowing vast quantities of structured and
seemingly unrelated data - including data currently housed in various
incompatible databases and records management systems - to be securely
organized, consolidated and rapidly analyzed over a highly secure
intranet-based platform.
One search using known or partial facts from an ongoing investigation
can produce qualified leads that would otherwise be unapparent in
seconds - a process that prior to COPLINK was not possible or often
takes days or weeks to accomplish. Through sophisticated analytics,
including powerful visualization tools, COPLINK builds "institutional
memory," reduces knowledge gaps and prevents criminals from falling
through the cracks.
"Another benefit of the program is its power to generate new
investigative leads in rapes, murders, burglaries, robberies and other
crimes," said Mick Covington, Executive Director of the Missouri
Sheriff's Association. "Vague physical descriptions and bits of
information given by crime victims or witnesses, such as tattoos, car
colors, and nicknames, take on new life when they are researched in a
regional database."
"Across our state, policing agencies face tough challenges when trying
to share information. This software will enable law enforcement to
compile data in one central repository and give every police officer
access to that critical information," said Sheldon Lineback, Executive
Director of the Missouri Police Chiefs Association.
There are 12,655 full time sworn officers within the Missouri law
enforcement geographical area. COPLINK will be accessible to authorized
law enforcement officers, investigators, detectives, highway patrol
troopers, and crime analysts throughout the state and will be used for
law enforcement purposes only. This includes sworn officers serving
communities across 114 counties, the city of St. Louis, approximately
535 municipalities and other state law enforcement entities.
COPLINK will allow MIAC and other agencies to instantly cross-reference
and analyze law enforcement records systems statewide, significantly
improving operations and results. Gov. Blunt opened MIAC in December
2005 to provide a public safety partnership consisting of local, state
and federal agencies, as well as the public sector and private partners.
It collects, evaluates, analyzes, and disseminates information to
agencies tasked with Homeland Security responsibilities in a timely,
secure manner. MIAC collects incident reports of suspicious activities
to be evaluated and analyzed in an effort to identify potential trends
or patterns of terrorist or criminal operations within the state.
MIAC also facilitates two-way communication between federal, state and
local law enforcement communities within the region. When COPLINK is
fully deployed in Missouri, it will also link into the FBI's Regional
Data Exchange system known as RDEX, further enhancing Missouri's ability
to collaborate with other regional, state and federal agencies in
solving crime and thwarting terrorism.
When COPLINK is used to create statewide networks, each participating
agency has real-time control over what data is shared, with whom and
when. In addition, data continues to reside and be updated at its
existing source, with automatic refresh mechanisms triggering updates
within COPLINK. These safeguards help protect the integrity of the data
and sensitive information while allowing for the creation of ad hoc
regional task forces to address specific criminal activity.
Access to COPLINK will be restricted based on individual user security
clearance levels, and the sensitivity of the data itself based on strict
policy protocols spelled out in a memorandum of understanding between
participating agencies. COPLINK also creates a detailed audit trail for
every search conducted. This serves two purposes. Officers seeking to
question or obtain a warrant on suspects identified through COPLINK are
able to clearly demonstrate with hard facts how that person fits the
criminal profile and how others were excluded. The Systems Administrator
is also able to monitor use for audit purposes to identify any abuse
that would result in suspension of a user's access privileges under the
privacy and use protocols established by MoDex participants in
accordance with local, state and federal laws.
With the addition of the State of Missouri, COPLINK now supports nearly
1300 jurisdictions nationwide spanning across 20 states, including four
of the nation's five largest cities, helping police officers fight
crime, thwart terrorism and improve community safety. A powerful force
multiplier, COPLINK is documented as conservatively providing a 14:1
investigative time advantage, reducing the time it takes to identify
qualified suspects, thereby enabling law enforcement to keep more feet
on the streets.
Winner of numerous awards, COPLINK was recognized twice by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police for deployments in Tucson,
Arizona and across the State of Alaska. The Center for Digital
Government also recognized COPLINK as one of the best-of-breed and most
innovative IT projects undertaken by cities in the nation.
Many law enforcement agencies worked together to bring COPLINK to
Missouri including, the Missouri Department of Public Safety, Missouri
State Highway Patrol, Missouri Police Chiefs Association, Missouri
Sheriff's Association, Cole County Sheriff's Office, and the Missouri
Department of Corrections.
About Knowledge Computing Corporation
Knowledge Computing Corp. provides technology-based crime-fighting
solutions to leading edge law enforcement agencies nationwide. Its
critically-acclaimed COPLINK®, solution, in use since 1998, is based on
knowledge management technology first prototyped by top-ranked
researchers in the Artificial Intelligence Lab at the University of
Arizona in Tucson through a grant by the National Institute of Justice.
The technologies developed at Knowledge Computing Corporation have been
tested and proven by law enforcement agencies around the country. For
more information: www.knowledgecc.com or www.coplink.com.
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