TEMPLE, Texas — Multiple law enforcement agencies in Central Texas, mainly in Bell County, are getting ready to switch to a new record management system.
Departments are able to share records and information already, but it takes a while and isn't super user friendly. Some describe their systems as outdated and working over department lines and database lines isn't as easy as they need it to be.
The new system will be a game changer for many agencies as they work in unison to stop crime.
At least 12 agencies in Bell County have already made the decision to join Temple Police Department in switching to a new system called "Niche."
"We are evaluating and moving forward with a project called Niche, and it's a records management system for law enforcement agencies," said Temple Police Chief Shawn Reynolds. "What we've been able to do is kind of get a consortium together of most of the Bell County agencies to operate on the same records management system moving forward."
Reynolds says it will help increase case clearances, share intelligence and information sharing much more readily.
Temple Police Department will host the entire system.
Reynolds says it will take 18 to 24 months for the system to be up and running.
"Because it's very intricate when you talk about police records management systems," Reynolds explained. "Each agency has to determine what they're going to bring over from their old systems, or what they're going to do with those systems."
The complex system holds everything departments need to make a case or an arrest like a person's name, descriptors, identifiers, addresses names, date of birth for both victims and suspects.
Lt. Robert McClinton with the Bell County Sheriff's Department says as a county wide agency, it's important for them to be able to pull records from neighboring departments.
"We see a diversity of all kinds of calls and the people that we deal with," he said. "We deal with people that are transient to to our county, as well as people who live here."
McClinton says the record system also holds information about evidence collected from scenes like where it is logged, located, whether it was sent to a lab for analysis or whether it was placed into evidence lockers.
"The system is going to really help us in moving into the future and to becoming more progressive with our law enforcement," McClinton said.
Now that they'll all be sharing, hopefully cases will be closed even faster.
"Those that are going to seek to take advantage of folks aren't looking at street signs," Reynolds added. "Most are crimes of opportunity and we've got to work together in order to solve things and keep Central Texas safe."
Here's a list of the agencies switching to the new system at this time:
- Bell County Sheriff Office
- Bell County Constable Precinct 1, 2, 3 and 4
- Belton Police Department
- Copperas Cove Police Department
- Harker Heights Police Department
- Killeen Police Department
- Killeen Independent School District Police Department
- Nolanville Police Department
- Morgans Point Resort Police Department
- Salado Police Department
- Temple Police Department
- Texas A&M University Central Texas Police Department - still completing the process, but they are a participant.
- Troy Police Department
Reynolds tells 6 News each agency will pay for their own services based on the number of sworn law enforcement officers that will access the system.
The city of Temple is paying for the new system through the city's capital improvement program.