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New program links 7 local police agencies

July 30, 2008
by Katie Beasley
WRDW News12 Augusta, GA

COLUMBIA COUNTY, GA---A new program called COPLINK has been a few years in the making. It's a database that links 7 local police agencies and helps them investigate crime and now it's ready.

COPLINK has been in the works for several years. Now, it's finally ready to roll. "We're finally getting to see it come to fruition which is a real thrill for a lot of us that have seen it work its way along," says Eddie George with the Aiken Department of Public Safety.

The Aiken Department of Public Safety is just one of the seven agencies partnering up to fight crime. Five counties -- Aiken, Burke, Columbia, Edgefield, and Richmond -- along with the cities of North Augusta and Aiken are all on board, and ready to help each other.

"Law enforcement data has been a guarded thing. I just see this as really opening the door of communication between all these departments," says George.

By pressing one key, police can now access files and help catch criminals. "This is probably going to be one of the greatest tools you have on your tool belt," says Columbia County Staff Sergeant Gary Harden.

The tools came together after a 2007, $1.4 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Day one of training is down and starting day two, the agencies will be working with live cases.

"My understanding is that most agencies that have introduced COPLINK into their department, the second day of training, somebody goes to jail," says Staff Sergeant Harden.

COPLINK has been successful in big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago, and even the entire state of Alaska. But what makes the CSRA unique is that it doesn't just merge county lines, it's merging a state line too. "Obviously the criminals don't see the boundaries that we do and when we learn to work past them then I think we have a much better chance of putting them behind bars," says George.

Now Eddie George and Aiken City can look forward to teaming together and catching criminals.

On the database, police can search just about anything, about anyone in their system. They're thinking it will start paying off very quickly. Before the program, the agencies talked mainly by phone, but just like everyone else people take vacations, and are out of the office, so COPLINK will hopefully cut down on the time it takes to get that information.