The Office of Justice Assistance announced today that the Wisconsin Justice Information Sharing (WIJIS) Justice Gateway is operational and sharing over 1.25 million files between 250 users. The Justice Gateway is a powerful online tool that expands how local police investigators and district attorneys share investigative data. The WIJIS Justice Gateway uses the most secure technologies available, allowing the Wisconsin justice community the ability to exchange critical information and track potential criminal and terrorist activity across the state.
"Crime does not stop at a county or city border, and with the WIJIS Gateway neither will our investigations," said OJA Executive Director David Steingraber. "With access to more detailed investigative information, police and prosecutors will have the tools they need to help reduce crime, prevent terrorism and keep our communities safe."
Police officers have traditionally had access to convictions and other criminal history data through statewide information systems; however, detailed incident reports filed by officers on duty hold a wealth of information that could not previously be shared between agencies. Through the WIJIS Gateway, this detailed information can now be accessed and used in an investigation or to aid prosecution. Currently, the Gateway allows data from 41 law enforcement agencies in Kenosha, La Crosse, Portage, Dane, Winnebago, and Brown Counties to be accessed by authorized law enforcement users throughout the state.
The WIJIS Gateway relies on the Global Justice xml Data Model (GJXDM), a national standard for connecting information stored in individual local systems without forcing upgrades or increasing security risks. The Gateway's secure Internet connections provide 'pointers' to locally stored information without creating a large and difficult to maintain data warehouse. The pointer approach also allows local Police Chiefs and Sheriffs to retain complete control of their original records, while sharing critical information statewide.
"We used to say information is the lifeblood of an organization," said WIJIS Program Director Jim Pingel. "That’s true, of course, but we're realizing in the last five years that it is also the connective tissue that keeps all the players in the justice system functioning as a unified whole. I am very pleased that we are able to deliver this important tool to the criminal justice community in Wisconsin. I am particularly satisfied with the things we do to protect the privacy of individuals while allowing more open sharing." Pingel pointed out that WIJIS works closely with the National Governor's Association and leading academics on approaches to privacy protection.
