INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Feb. 18, 2016) – Police agencies across Central Indiana are using high-tech data-sharing equipment to stop crime. A regional police chiefs meeting brought together top cops from across several cities.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s new Real Time Data Center is only about one month old, but police say it’s already proving to be extremely beneficial. Police chiefs from across central Indiana got a first hand lesson of the Real Time Data Center and how it could be beneficial for their own departments. Some of the tools include tracing a suspects address and cell phone records and comparing them to find acquaintances who may live outside IMPD limit.
“Identifying those people who commit crimes, giving us information about potential crime areas and supporting us in what would be our need to identify many of the same issues they have,” explained Speedway Police Chief James Campbell.
Sharing data among police agencies is crucial to stopping criminals. In Greenwood, police are looking for suspects in a string of thefts at a Rural King. Police believe the suspects may be from Indianapolis.
“People who end up being arrested for criminals acts, it’s not our residents. It’s the majority of those from outside the city,” said Greenwood Police Chief John Lauit.
While Greenwood and Speedway are fairly close in proximity to Indianapolis, police said criminals don’t have boundaries. They’re hoping the ability to instantly share data on criminals will help catch the suspects quickly.
“It will drop down time so that the detective in Greenwood, maybe who has a suspect in Indianapolis, he can use this data, especially if it’s a suspect in a violent crime,” Lauit said.
CrimeStoppers is a also a tool for people to use across Central Indiana for reporting crime and tips anonymously.
