Cop Link
For several years, the Larimer Emergency Telephone Authority (LETA) has been assessing the need for implementing Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) connectivity between the Tritech system used by Loveland and the Tiburon system used by Larimer County, Fort Collins, CSU, and Estes Park.
LETA has taken several steps to evaluate this project and has engaged several different options to resolve this need. LETA recently reevaluated this issue on December 5, 2007. LETA voted to support interoperability with all agencies through a product commonly known as COPLINK.
History
COPLINK is a third party software solution that allows disparate Record Management Systems, CAD systems, Fire Reporting systems, and Jail Management Systems to push data to a central server. The server holds the data and allows the user to pull information back to their work station and perform query functions. Having access to data sets in one central location has a number of benefits including assisting in criminal investigations. COPLINK also has a product that will promotes interoperability between CAD systems through real time connectivity.
At present, Larimer County has a unique opportunity to join COPLINK at a minimal cost. The Colorado Bureau of Investigations, the Aurora Police Department, the Denver Police Department, Arapahoe County, Adams County Communications Center, Douglas County, Grand Junction, Jefferson County and Broomfield County recently purchased licenses for COPLINK sufficient to cover all sworn law enforcement officers in Colorado.
The LETA Board is committed to interoperability between agencies, and maximizing resources. Joining the COPLINK project will allow the sharing of information with all participating agencies in our state and eventually in other states as well.
Internal Staff Commitment
While LETA believes this project is a worthwhile one, the project will require internal staff support from Fort Collins, Larimer County and Loveland, and to a lesser extent from the remaining agencies. This will include assistance from command personnel to help review the data sharing agreement, IT, dispatch, records, investigations, and patrol. The time spent from your staff will vary depending on the quality of your in house data. The soft dollar costs of your staff time cannot be fully determined until COPLINK is engaged to start the data processing review.
Estimated Project Costs
The hard costs of the project will likely be as follows;
- License fees - each agency pays the consortium for their share of the license fees and node recovery costs. This is based on the number of sworn officers in all of Larimer County. This fee for Larimer County can not be determined until discussions are generated with the consortium.
LETA has committed to paying for this cost.
- Data Set fees - for each data set that we choose to connect to the COPLINK project, a fee is assessed.
LETA has committed to paying for this cost.
- Maintenance - the ongoing maintenance is 15% of the one time license fee. Consistent with LETA policies, the Authority will not pay for on-gong maintenance.
Assistance
Before pursuing this opportunity further, LETA seeks input on this project from you and your agency. Your support of the project will serve as an affirmation of its value and commitment to provide the necessary internal assistance to implement the COPLINK system and to provide on-going maintenance and support for the project.