LAPD to implement intelligence, analysis system

Officials from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Counter Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau are implementing a system that will enable investigators to collect, analyze, search and disseminate information on major crimes.

The department awarded Memex a three-year, sole-source contract worth about $1 million, said Mike Himley, general manager of the company’s Los Angeles office. The award is part of a larger contract that has not been made public, he said. He declined to provide details about the larger contract.

He said LAPD has been exploring intelligence systems for about a year and approached Memex and several other vendors. The department expects the company to implement the system in the next three months.

The company, whose U.S. headquarters is in Vienna, Va., has deployed similar intelligence and analysis systems in New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Its data-mining technology allows investigators to use a Boolean or proximity search function across disparate databases. Users can specify whether they want responses to appear in text or graphics. The technology is available through a client-based application or a Web-based one for mobile and remote users.

Lt. Robert Fox, who works in the bureau’s Major Crimes Division, said investigators are viewing the system as an analytical tool that will enable investigators to drill down to data when they’re searching for people, license plate numbers or locations. If somebody calls with a tip or lead, it will be easier to search across multiple data sources with Memex rather than query each one separately, he said. With the system, investigators can reduce errors, save time and either find links among disparate pieces of data or discard data that would not be supported, he said.

“Right now, we don’t use anything other than putting stuff in [Microsoft] Word and keeping hard files,” Fox said.

He also said the system will help investigators better manage investigations by ensuring that deadlines are met, keeping track of a case and performing other types of audits. He added that the system could be expanded to the whole department.

Himley said LAPD’s workflow processes are mostly manual, and the new system will provide automated information and case management capabilities. The system can also handle data that complies with the Global Justice Exchange Data Model, which is a national standard designed for criminal justice agencies to exchange information effectively and quickly.

The Counter Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau consists of the Emergency Services Division and the Major Crimes Division, which investigates people or groups such as street gangs and organized crime who plan, threaten, aid, abet or finance actions that threaten public safety, according to LAPD’s Web site.

Himley said 150 officers are part of the bureau. Overall, the department has 9,300 officers, he said.