Attorney General Mark Barnett Announces Law Enforcement Intelligence Sharing Network

(Pierre) – Attorney General Mark Barnett announced today that South Dakota will soon have a new tool for gathering and distributing criminal intelligence.  South Dakota will become one of the first states in the nation to share its law enforcement intelligence database on-line to qualified law enforcement agencies.  In the next month the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) will be connected to a nationwide network that is designed to be a superhighway of information for law enforcement.

Barnett said, “This is a tremendous tool and it could not have been more timely,” referring to the recent terrorism related activity.  “It allows law officers all across the country to share critical information in a fast, secure way, they can view our information and we can view theirs.”  Currently the system has more then 5,600 member agencies throughout the U.S.  “SD will use the infrastructure set up to allow members to submit criminal intelligence information and will allow agencies to access this critical information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” Barnett said.

Member agencies gain access to the information electronically through a secure web-based system that uses strict security measures to prevent unauthorized access.  Once connected, law enforcement can submit intelligence, or query the existing database quickly and securely.  “This aids officers in solving everything from local crimes to identifying terrorist acts” Barnett said.  

The new system is coordinated through the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS), or RISS.net.  The RISS program is comprised of six regional intelligence centers, operating in geographic regions that include all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Canada, Australia, and England.   South Dakota is a member of Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC) with its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

South Dakota’s intelligence program has been available to South Dakota law enforcement officers since 1985.  DCI has been tasked with maintaining the database and ensuring that it meets strict federal guidelines.  Once the system is in place, the DCI will also offer local member agencies access to additional databases, such as the Sex Offender Registry and DNA.

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