UNDATED (WSAU) Only a quarter of Wisconsin’s police and sheriff’s departments are using a statewide data-sharing system. The Justice Gateway system went on-line in 2007, with the help of almost $6.5-million in federal funding.
The Legislative Audit Bureau said today that 149 of the over 600 law enforcement agencies in the state are using the system. It lets officers share records that might not result in arrests, like citizen complaints, traffic stops, and notes from investigators. Madison and Milwaukee Police are among those not using the system, but both are expected to go on-line with it before the year ends.
Auditors said the information on the system is limited because police departments can choose what data they want to share – and some agencies might not have the resources to take part. Also, the audit said the Office of Justice Assistance has not given the Legislature a required annual report on how the system’s going. But an office spokeswoman said they file monthly reports with lawmakers, but not an annual report – and they give information to the federal government as well. Justice Assistance officials said an average of four new police agencies join the system each month.
