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This article appeared in today's issue of the Sun Herald in the local section.
Safety system slow to walk
26 months, $14 million later ...
By ROBIN FITZGERALD
THE SUN HERALD
GULFPORT - Developers and administrators of a data-sharing project for public safety agencies in the three Coast counties have jumped a number of hurdles to gain acceptance of the system.
The Mississippi Automated System Project, or ASP, initially was planned to give patrol officers instant access to law enforcement records via laptop computers. Authorities have said laptops were a major concern in a survey of more than 400 end-users, street-level officers.
However, to reach the point of laptops, it has required 26 months of work and $14 million in federal money to put the infrastructure in place and to begin installing software at participating agencies, said Julian Allen of the University of Southern Mississippi. Allen oversees ASP development at USM's Gulf Park campus.
The project will share different types of public safety records among related agencies in Harrison, Jackson and Hancock counties. Federal money is paying for equipment and software for participating agencies in the three counties.
Not all agencies have readily accepted the program. Eleven of 13 law enforcement agencies have agreed to come on board, along with 15 fire departments.
"Those who already had some level of technology were skeptical to commit to becoming involved in something that wasn't up and running," Allen said.
"Now that the agencies are seeing this is real life, not pie in the sky, Biloxi and Gulfport are taking a closer look in determining that participation. It's like a magnolia blossom that is now starting to go full bloom."
ASP also has drawn its share of criticism, with skepticism from some members of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors.
Allen said ASP is heavily scrutinized, in part because of the federal funds, and he doesn't fault anyone for asking questions, such as what will happen when federal funding for the $25 million project ends in January 2009.
Allen said a non-profit group for public safety support is a possible option for maintenance costs.
"Through an economies-of-scale business model," he said, "the more agencies on board, the less expensive it would be for every agency on board. It should be much cheaper than what an agency would pay for their own stand-alone system that they would be paying for independently."
"Mississippi is way behind in technology," Allen said. "If we don't take advantage of federal dollars, we may never again have this opportunity."
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About ASP
The Automated System Project is designed to make public safety efforts more effective and efficient. An upcoming component will maintain court records for the state's District Attorney's Offices. Technology for the following is now available:
Fire management: records management for fire departments.
Jail management: records of inmates past and present.
Records management for law enforcement: records of calls for service and arrests.
Computer-aided dispatch: automatically pulls up screens and maps for immediate response to critical situations.
More info on ASP:
http://www.tarantella.com/customers/profiles/tricounty.html
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php?channel=14&id=90678
http://www-1.ibm.com/industries/government/doc/content/news/pressrelease/1107628109.html
http://linuxtoday.com/it_management/2004063001926NWSSPB
Safety system slow to walk
26 months, $14 million later ...
By ROBIN FITZGERALD
THE SUN HERALD
GULFPORT - Developers and administrators of a data-sharing project for public safety agencies in the three Coast counties have jumped a number of hurdles to gain acceptance of the system.
The Mississippi Automated System Project, or ASP, initially was planned to give patrol officers instant access to law enforcement records via laptop computers. Authorities have said laptops were a major concern in a survey of more than 400 end-users, street-level officers.
However, to reach the point of laptops, it has required 26 months of work and $14 million in federal money to put the infrastructure in place and to begin installing software at participating agencies, said Julian Allen of the University of Southern Mississippi. Allen oversees ASP development at USM's Gulf Park campus.
The project will share different types of public safety records among related agencies in Harrison, Jackson and Hancock counties. Federal money is paying for equipment and software for participating agencies in the three counties.
Not all agencies have readily accepted the program. Eleven of 13 law enforcement agencies have agreed to come on board, along with 15 fire departments.
"Those who already had some level of technology were skeptical to commit to becoming involved in something that wasn't up and running," Allen said.
"Now that the agencies are seeing this is real life, not pie in the sky, Biloxi and Gulfport are taking a closer look in determining that participation. It's like a magnolia blossom that is now starting to go full bloom."
ASP also has drawn its share of criticism, with skepticism from some members of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors.
Allen said ASP is heavily scrutinized, in part because of the federal funds, and he doesn't fault anyone for asking questions, such as what will happen when federal funding for the $25 million project ends in January 2009.
Allen said a non-profit group for public safety support is a possible option for maintenance costs.
"Through an economies-of-scale business model," he said, "the more agencies on board, the less expensive it would be for every agency on board. It should be much cheaper than what an agency would pay for their own stand-alone system that they would be paying for independently."
"Mississippi is way behind in technology," Allen said. "If we don't take advantage of federal dollars, we may never again have this opportunity."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About ASP
The Automated System Project is designed to make public safety efforts more effective and efficient. An upcoming component will maintain court records for the state's District Attorney's Offices. Technology for the following is now available:
Fire management: records management for fire departments.
Jail management: records of inmates past and present.
Records management for law enforcement: records of calls for service and arrests.
Computer-aided dispatch: automatically pulls up screens and maps for immediate response to critical situations.
More info on ASP:
http://www.tarantella.com/customers/profiles/tricounty.html
http://www.govtech.net/magazine/channel_story.php?channel=14&id=90678
http://www-1.ibm.com/industries/government/doc/content/news/pressrelease/1107628109.html
http://linuxtoday.com/it_management/2004063001926NWSSPB
