Information Broadcasting Speeds Arrests in Douglas County, Colo.

The Douglas County, Colo., Sheriff's Office is combining good police work with high-tech tools from VisionTEK, and the effort is paying off. Two recent incidents demonstrate how getting timely information into the right hands yields real results for public safety.

While reviewing data on a string of thefts in the area, Douglas County Sheriff's Office Crime Analyst, Michelle Kennedy, recognized the likeliness of a potential repeat attempt occurring that evening. Using VisionTEK's UNITY system, Kennedy broadcasted information about her hunch directly to the patrol vehicles. Based on that information, a DCSO Sergeant decided to patrol the area, and came across a suspicious vehicle. When the vehicle attempted to flee the area, it crashed and one suspect was apprehended at the site. After an intensive ground search, a second suspect was arrested. Stolen property was recovered and the string of criminal activity ceased.

In another incident, the DCSO and FBI were investigating a bank robbery that occurred in Douglas County. After acquiring a photo of the missing vehicle and distributing it via the UNITY system, DCSO officers recovered the vehicle within just a few hours and turned it over to the crime lab. Some useful information was obtained for the FBI's ongoing investigation and the vehicle was later returned to its owners.

"Douglas County and VisionTEK win again," Division Chief Mike Coleman of the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said. "You have to love the great results this kind of efficiency brings...UNITY makes traditional methods of broadcasting a bulletin no longer an obstacle."

VisionTEK's UNITY system is installed with Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical agencies throughout Colorado and in 7 other states. UNITY is designed to enable data interoperability between public safety agencies. It provides the agencies the ability to share real-time information within, or across, jurisdictional boundaries. With UNITY, information can be distributed through a wireless system to one or many users, based on an individual's first responder role, allowing agencies to transmit data to first responders in an entire county, state or even the nation. In addition, UNITY can provide authorized users with access to local, state and federal databases, including access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).