For a police officer on the street, the difference between five seconds and five minutes can mean the difference between life and death. The quicker an officer learns the complete background of a suspect or victim, the faster and more accurately he or she can respond. More than 80 law enforcement agencies in New Jersey now use Info-Cop, a software technology that provides officers real-time access to local, state and federal crime databases. With Info-Cop, an officer can simultaneously tap into seven massive databases in just two to four seconds, rather than the five to 10 minutes it takes a dispatcher to check the databases individually. Info-Cop also is a "force multiplying" technology, because it allows officers to create real-time records that are immediately accessible to officers of other subscribing agencies throughout the nation who might come into contact with a suspect, victim or investigation. While Info-Cop's current deployment is focused in New Jersey, it is applicable and affordable to any law enforcement agency in the nation. Officers can view photos, receive updates, query criminal databases and share real-time information with the stroke of a computer key that securely transmits data in a user-friendly format. Info-Cop, developed in 2001 by a team of 15 law enforcement professionals, is designed as an overlay so that an officer using a wireless laptop in a squad car, or using a wireless PDA on a horse or bicycle, can quickly find a criminal record without calling a dispatcher and waiting for a database search.
