NCJ Number
45132
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION, AND AUDITING OF A REGIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM SERVING 15 LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN IOWA AND ILLINOIS ARE DESCRIBED.
Abstract
IN 1973, ROCK ISLAND COUNTY, ILL., AND SCOTT COUNTY, IOWA, FORMED THE BI-STATE METROPOLITAN COMPUTER COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH A COST-EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ASSISTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WITH THEIR RECORD FUNCTIONS. LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SERVING THE AREA'S 720,000 RESIDENTS HAVE SINCE ESTABLISHED LINKS TO THE BISTATE COMPUTER FOR INPUT AND RETRIEVAL OF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION, FOR COMMUNICATION WITH STATEWIDE COMPUTER SYSTEMS IN ILLINOIS AND IOWA, AND, THROUGH THE STATE NETWORKS, FOR LINKAGE TO THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER. RATHER THAN CREATING NEW SOFTWARE, THE BISTATE PROGRAM IMPORTED THE ALERT SYSTEM DEVELOPED IN KANSAS CITY. A SPECIAL COMMITTEE IS CHARGED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF AUDITING THE ALERT FILES FOR COMPLETENESS AND ACCURACY. IN AUDITS CONDUCTED IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH 1977 THE COMMITTEE FOUND NO INACCURACIES AND WAS ABLE TO PRODUCE A SOURCE DOCUMENT TO SUBSTANTIATE EACH ENTRY AUDITED. THE PROCEDURES FOLLOWED BY THE AUDIT COMMITTEE ARE OUTLINED, AND DOCUMENTS ILLUSTRATING THOSE PROCEDURES ARE APPENDED. DETAILS OF THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BISTATE PROGRAM ARE PROVIDED.