Bad guys know no jurisdictional boundaries. They’ll commit crimes in one city, state, or even country and then perpetrate more in another. While the value of collaboration and information-sharing in the field of policing is pretty apparent, the challenges come in how this can be done and what is the extent of data that will be shared between different entities.

This session’s instructors are Catherine Miller and David “Ship” Shipley. Catherine has a significant history working in public safety technology and is currently the Program Manager of the National Capital Region Law Enforcement Information Exchange Program (NCR-LInX). Meanwhile, Ship is a retired law enforcement professional, his last role being the Commander of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, and is currently the last remaining founding member of the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium (CISC).

Specifics of the discussion include:

• How data-sharing can serve as a force multiplier in the current socio-political climate where the public is demanding law enforcement agencies to do more with less.
• A glimpse into the inception of pioneer information-sharing initiatives – the CISC and LInX, the stakeholders, the membership structure, and the agreements between the entities within each.
• Challenging and debunking myths related to information sharing in terms of access and confidentiality.
• Positive practices to incorporate in any inter-agency information sharing effort
  • Relating as the first step to reach out to other entities and forging a relationship rooted in mutual benefit.
  • Fostering trust between stakeholders through similar experiences and values.
  • The importance of disclosing in building partnerships and the trust between involved parties.
  • Processing the different elements that will build the foundation of the collaboration which includes policies and protocols.
  • Integrating within the involved agencies through constant communication to ensure everyone’s on the same page.
  • Securing the information being shared paying close attention to data warehousing, security standards, classified information, data integrity, and right to access.
• Success stories demonstrating how information sharing through LInX and CISC resulted in the proper administering of justice and ensuring the safety of both citizens and officers.
• A look into the how of information-sharing that entail the right people, right attitude, healthy relationships, innovation, perseverance, and empathy.
• Factors to consider as legal restrictions, the agencies involved, the data sources to be shared, the retention and maintenance of data, and the ownership of the data.

Questions from the audience were about:

• Getting leaders on board with data-sharing.
• The most common points of contention when attempting to initiate data-sharing.
• The differences and similarities of LInX and N-Dex.
• Integrating LInX and CISC with Canadian counterparts.
• Using information-sharing systems in missing persons cases.
• Expanding the information-sharing systems.

Click here to view and register for other upcoming Nlets webinars on the JCH Platform.

Resources and Handouts

• LinX National Capital Region: Law Enforcement Information Exchange Program
• Law Enforcement Information Exchange Annual Report 2020
• NLets Overview
• Book Referenced: Walking with Lions by Pastor Jonathan Wiggins