Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry Oversees Grant, Regional Law Enforcement Personnel to Benefit

Today, Thursday, May 28, 2009, Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry announced his Division of Public Safety is in the process of overseeing a $1.5 million Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program (LETPP) grant. The fund will support the regional portion of a statewide information sharing project with the Armada Group, a company committed to providing law enforcement agencies with more modern crime fighting technology.

The grant will provide each of the 13 counties located in Region 5 (Ashland, Carroll, Columbiana, Holmes, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne) with access to iLincs, a database that provides new crime fighting tools and more detailed information to officers. The most noteworthy benefits of iLincs include:

• Ability to locate specialized resources statewide (K-9 Units and SWAT Teams)
• Alerts and warrant notifications
• Broadcasts missing and wanted persons
• Connects individuals to the Ohio Strategic Analysis and Information Center to assist in the collection and reporting of terrorist activities
• Direct access to data repositories (Law Enforcement Automated Data System)
• Field intelligence reporting capabilities
• Real-time information sharing (including instant messaging between officers)

The system can be accessed anywhere there are internet capabilities, such as: the cruiser, the station and the dispatch center. iLincs does not require an investment in additional software, capital expenditures or labor.

According the Summit County Division of Public Safety, the U.S. Marshals Service has already implemented the system into their practices, as well as police departments in the City of Stow and the City of Tallmadge.

The grant funding is able to provide each law enforcement agency in the region with at least one connection to the system through July 2010. An additional 600 connections were purchased and are being distributed to law enforcement agencies upon request.

In an effort to educate local law enforcement agencies on iLincs, representatives from the Armada Group, the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the Summit County Division of Public Safety and the Summit County Sheriff's Office have been facilitating information meetings and live demonstrations before public safety officials across the region.

Remaining grant dollars have been allocated to fund the Terrorism Liaison Program, as well as the purchase of rapid identification and license plate readers.

For more information contact Summit County Executive Russell M. Pry's Office of Public Safety and Criminal Justice Affairs at 330-643-2558, or visit www.co.summit.oh.us/cjad/cjad.htm .