Catching Criminals Across Jurisdictions
September 23, 2022 by Kate Nadolski
As public safety officials know, criminals don’t always stay in one place. As such, when these individuals engage in criminal behavior across jurisdictions, multiple agencies are often involved in mitigating the issue.
But what happens if those agencies cannot collaborate and share information easily?
In these scenarios, it’s common to experience miscommunication and overlook critical pieces of data. When the police department in Ottawa, Kansas, identified there was a need for collaboration with nearby law enforcement agencies, they knew they needed to act quickly.
Like many nearby agencies, the Ottawa Police Department used Public Safety Pro, powered by Incode®, which allowed the agencies to be a part of the ‘Metro Project.’ This initiative connects many nearby agencies, which enables the agencies to communicate quickly and share data seamlessly. In turn, they can work together to catch criminals who are committing crimes in multiple jurisdictions.
The Metro Project is made up of the Ottawa PD, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Franklin County Adult Detention Center, Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center, Franklin County Emergency Management, and the Wellsville Police Department.
Chief Adam Weingartner with the Ottawa PD said being a part of the Metro Project has changed how his agency operates.
“We share records and information from the moment a 911 call comes in until we electronically submit our reports to the state,” said Weingartner. “Criminals are constantly crossing jurisdictions, and our ability to easily track them with our system has helped us identify repeat offenders and know where to focus our patrol efforts.”
The Metro Project provided a steady stream of shared data that played a significant role in solving a string of car break-ins.
“Offenders were breaking into unlocked cars inside and outside Ottawa city limits,” Weingartner said. “By sharing our records with nearby agencies, we were able to identify and arrest those suspects. We could tie several of these cases together by comparing reports taken across the various areas these break-ins took place. The system makes it easy to correlate the data in a concise report and provide that bundle to the prosecutor.”
The Metro Project has opened many doors for improving policing for the Ottawa PD and everyone involved.