Information Exchange

Copyright protected: 2005 Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Police TechnologyPolice Technology
Chapter ElevenChapter Eleven
Information ExchangeInformation Exchange

Copyright protected: 2005 Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymo
Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives
 The value of information exchangeThe value of information exchange
between state, local, and federal agenciesbetween state, local, and federal agencies
 The issue of InteroperabilityThe issue of Interoperability
 The various factors that make informationThe various factors that make information
exchange difficultexchange difficult
 Some of the potential solutions toSome of the potential solutions to
information exchangeinformation exchange

IntroductionIntroduction
We will look at information exchange in twoWe will look at information exchange in two
primary ways:primary ways:
 The exchange ofThe exchange of tactical informationtactical information
 The exchange ofThe exchange of strategic informationstrategic information

Integration - DefinedIntegration - Defined
A completely integrated criminal justiceA completely integrated criminal justice
system would be a network designed tosystem would be a network designed to
provide each agency from the police to theprovide each agency from the police to the
courts, to the prison system, with thecourts, to the prison system, with the
information it needs to make a decision.information it needs to make a decision.

The Importance of IntegrationThe Importance of Integration
Interoperability is the process ofInteroperability is the process of
connecting different agencies orconnecting different agencies or
units with agencies usingunits with agencies using
communication technologies so thatcommunication technologies so that
they can communicate directly.they can communicate directly.

Tactical Importance ofTactical Importance of
IntegrationIntegration
Tactical information isTactical information is
used to make immediateused to make immediate
decisions. Incorrect ordecisions. Incorrect or
incomplete informationincomplete information
can cause poor decisionscan cause poor decisions
The inability to shareThe inability to share
critical information iscritical information is
dangerous.dangerous.
Screen Capture provided by FAAC Inc

Strategic Importance ofStrategic Importance of
Strategic information isStrategic information is
generally used to makegenerally used to make
long-term or morelong-term or more
deliberated decisions.deliberated decisions.
Incorrect or incompleteIncorrect or incomplete
information can causeinformation can cause
poor decisionspoor decisions
The inability to shareThe inability to share
critical information iscritical information is
dangerous.dangerous.
Photograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesPhotograph provided by Robert Eplett, California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services

Why Can’t AgenciesWhy Can’t Agencies
Exchange Information?Exchange Information?
Fragmentation has createdFragmentation has created
organizational islands.organizational islands.
Organizations are influencedOrganizations are influenced
by:by:
 Sub-cultureSub-culture
 BudgetsBudgets
 Community PrioritiesCommunity Priorities
Copyright Protected: 2005 Hi Tech
Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster

More on FragmentationMore on Fragmentation
The entire criminal justice system tends toThe entire criminal justice system tends to
perform the function of informationperform the function of information
management exchange poorly becausemanagement exchange poorly because
each island enters information into theeach island enters information into the
systemsystem separately, differently, andseparately, differently, and
repeatedlyrepeatedly..

Fragmentation ResultsFragmentation Results
As state and local agenciesAs state and local agencies
adapt new ideas andadapt new ideas and
technologies, they tend to adapttechnologies, they tend to adapt
them to their own ways of doingthem to their own ways of doing
business.business.
These agencies end up with anThese agencies end up with an
assortment of systems,assortment of systems,
applications, databases, andapplications, databases, and
communications schemes –communications schemes –
often different from neighboringoften different from neighboring
or even overlapping agenciesor even overlapping agencies

What Should Integration Look Like?What Should Integration Look Like?
An integrated criminal justice informationAn integrated criminal justice information
sharing system must:sharing system must:
 FulfillFulfill the needs of the agencythe needs of the agency
employing the system andemploying the system and
 AddressAddress the needs of other agencies.the needs of other agencies.

What Should Integration Look Like?What Should Integration Look Like?
For any system integrationFor any system integration
to be successful, it must beto be successful, it must be
founded on standards in:founded on standards in:
 Data entryData entry
 ProtocolsProtocols
 PoliciesPolicies
 SoftwareSoftware
 Hardware systemsHardware systems

For these transactions to be complete,For these transactions to be complete,
they need to employ several differentthey need to employ several different
concepts:concepts:
 ContextContext – an agreement between the– an agreement between the
agencies that the exchange is goingagencies that the exchange is going
to be about a certain subjectto be about a certain subject
 ProtocolProtocol – Rules for how information– Rules for how information
is going to be exchanged and usedis going to be exchanged and used

 Information would be captured once andInformation would be captured once and
reused during subsequent decision-reused during subsequent decision-
making pointsmaking points
 Would have the ability to automaticallyWould have the ability to automatically
query databases of other organizationsquery databases of other organizations
 Would have the ability to push and pullWould have the ability to push and pull
only data that was neededonly data that was needed
 Have the ability to receive notificationsHave the ability to receive notifications
A fully integrated system . . .A fully integrated system . . .

Why aren’t law enforcement agenciesWhy aren’t law enforcement agencies
using Web-based standards?using Web-based standards?
 Agencies only need certain portions ofAgencies only need certain portions of
each other’s dataeach other’s data
 Except,Except, databases are often incompatibledatabases are often incompatible
(data fields, values, and attributes are(data fields, values, and attributes are
nonstandard)nonstandard)
Are Internet Standards a Solution?Are Internet Standards a Solution?

 Extensible Mark-up LanguageExtensible Mark-up Language is a root markupis a root markup
language that is derived from and similar tolanguage that is derived from and similar to
HTMLHTML
 Intended primarily for the transmission ofIntended primarily for the transmission of texttext
informationinformation
 Can be used to pass other binary data such asCan be used to pass other binary data such as
imagesimages
 UsesUses tagstags to identify information so disparateto identify information so disparate
applications and systems can easily recognizeapplications and systems can easily recognize
the datathe data
The XML SolutionThe XML Solution

XML separates style from contentXML separates style from content
 StyleStyle is the wayis the way
in which anin which an
agency decidesagency decides
it wants its datait wants its data
presentedpresented
 ContentContent is theis the
part of the totalpart of the total
that each picksthat each picks
for its own stylefor its own style

Tactical CommunicationsTactical Communications
There are two common technologicalThere are two common technological
strategies and one operationalstrategies and one operational
strategy that can improvestrategy that can improve
communications between differentcommunications between different
agencies.agencies.

 Trunked Radio SystemsTrunked Radio Systems - allow for- allow for
the programming of other agencythe programming of other agency
frequencies into the radio systemfrequencies into the radio system
carries in the vehiclecarries in the vehicle
 Gateway InterfaceGateway Interface – permanently– permanently
installed or used during majorinstalled or used during major
tactical incidentstactical incidents
Technological SolutionsTechnological Solutions

Organizational SolutionOrganizational Solution
 Incident Command System (ICS)Incident Command System (ICS) ––
Provides common terminology andProvides common terminology and
organization structures for successfulorganization structures for successful
joint field operationsjoint field operations

Agency PartnershipsAgency Partnerships
There are ways that agency partnershipsThere are ways that agency partnerships
can improve interoperability and thecan improve interoperability and the
exchange of data information.exchange of data information.
 Direct pooling of physical resourcesDirect pooling of physical resources
 Pool data, not facilitiesPool data, not facilities
 Contract communications with a largerContract communications with a larger
agencyagency
 Create regional systemsCreate regional systems

Two ways of looking at information-Two ways of looking at information-
integration partnershipsintegration partnerships
 Horizontal PartnershipHorizontal Partnership– between– between
agencies at the same level ofagencies at the same level of
governmentgovernment
 Vertical PartnershipVertical Partnership – Involves– Involves
agencies at varying levels ofagencies at varying levels of
government. More complexgovernment. More complex

Economies of ScaleEconomies of Scale
 Based on economic theoryBased on economic theory
that the more you producethat the more you produce
of a good, the less that itof a good, the less that it
costs for each additionalcosts for each additional
unit.unit.
 In government services,In government services,
economy of scale can beeconomy of scale can be
realized by expanding therealized by expanding the
geographic boundaries ofgeographic boundaries of
serviceservice

Combining Technology ResourcesCombining Technology Resources
Eighty-five percent of most state and localEighty-five percent of most state and local
law enforcement budgets are personnellaw enforcement budgets are personnel
costs, not equipment costs.costs, not equipment costs.
How many fewer people will it take to runHow many fewer people will it take to run
an operation? Will there be significantan operation? Will there be significant
savings over the long term?savings over the long term?

 Information Sharing is the transfer ofInformation Sharing is the transfer of
information from one system to anotherinformation from one system to another
via an intermediate system.via an intermediate system.
 Instead of pooling facilities, agenciesInstead of pooling facilities, agencies
agree to send their data to a centralagree to send their data to a central
data warehousedata warehouse
 This does not address voiceThis does not address voice
communications.communications.

Contract information services with aContract information services with a
private vendor or with a larger agency.private vendor or with a larger agency.
Typically used by small municipal policeTypically used by small municipal police
department that contracts with a countrydepartment that contracts with a country
law enforcement agencylaw enforcement agency

For a predeterminedFor a predetermined
fee, the largerfee, the larger
agency:agency:
 Conducts the PSAPConducts the PSAP
 Computer-aidedComputer-aided
dispatchdispatch
 Radio systemsRadio systems
maintenancemaintenance
 Controls access toControls access to
databasesdatabases
Photograph provided by Randall Larson, Editor, 9-1-1 Magazine

Regional SystemRegional System
 Agencies form joint communicationsAgencies form joint communications
projects.projects.
 Sometimes referred to asSometimes referred to as
Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA)Intergovernmental Agreements (IGA) oror
Joint Powers Authorities (JPA)Joint Powers Authorities (JPA)
 Some agencies form not-for-profitSome agencies form not-for-profit
organizations to create and manage aorganizations to create and manage a
regional systemregional system

Copyright protected: 2005 Hi Tech Criminal Justice, Raymond E. Foster
Police TechnologyPolice Technology
Go to theGo to the Student ResourcesStudent Resources pagepage
atat
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