Mitretek's Helping Hand

In addition to helping Maryland devise a statewide public safety strategy, Mitretek Systems, through the Center for Criminal Justice Technology, also is involved in other local, state and federal technology projects.

The agencies Mitretek is working with include:

* The Baltimore County (Md.) Police Department. Mitretek evaluated the department's laptop and palmtop computers for suitability to the department's applications. The company also developed a request for proposals for a records management system. The firm developed a way to integrate many of the department's information systems including booking, investigation, crime analysis, case management, evidence tracking, crime reporting, management reporting and archiving.

* Montgomery County, Md. Mitretek helped evaluate whether and how to install an 800 MHz radio system and an associated computer-aided dispatch and automated vehicle location system. It helped prepare a request for proposals to buy a systems integrator. And the company worked with the fire department to develop information system technologies.

* Ocean City, Md. Mitretek worked with the city on the purchase of a computer-aided dispatch system and a records management system by developing specifications and requests for proposals.

* The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. Mitretek evaluated key information and communication systems for the city, including stand-alone information systems, the computer-aided dispatching system, radio communication systems and the nonemergency call for service system.

The study identified ways a modern systems infrastructure could support the evolving department. It addressed Year 2000 compliance, National Crime Information Center (NCIC) 2000 compatibility, the need for a unified communications call center, support to officers in cruisers, improvements to the booking process and automation for manual information systems.

* The Supreme Court of Ohio. Mitretek formed a strategic plan for the automation of the court system and helped the court with the transition process.

* Delaware. Mitretek helped Delaware modernize its state criminal justice information system, incorporating the new NCIC 2000 and Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) capabilities. In addition, Mitretek supported the Delaware Department of Corrections in buying a Records Management System for the State Prison System.

* The FBI. Mitretek advised the agency in developing its IAFIS. The system will provide hundreds of thousands of users at more than 72,000 agencies with near real-time access to more than 40 million criminal-history records and online identification services relying on a 40 terabyte fingerprint image database.