The Churchill County (Nev.) Sheriff's Office is using new software from Spillman Technologies to share data and improve interoperability with the Fallon Police Department and other county agencies.

The Spillman software allows the sheriff's office and police department to access a wide range of records and images gathered from both jurisdictions. Data entered into the Spillman system is stored in a central, integrated database where it can be securely retrieved by personnel at both agencies.

Data-sharing helps the agencies track down common criminals that move back and forth between the two agencies' jurisdictions, Churchill County Sheriff Richard Ingram said. For example, a deputy at the sheriff's office can look up a suspect's name record and view previous arrests and incidents that occurred throughout both Fallon and Churchill County.

"Once a person is in the system, their information is accessible through a number of various interrelated Spillman modules," says Capt. Jon Haugen of the Churchill County Sheriff's Office. "The ability to search Spillman [and] get all name data and Involvements throughout the system will be huge. This will benefit all divisions within the sheriff's office."

The agency implemented Spillman's Records, Dispatch, Mobile, Corrections, and Resources solutions. Using Spillman's Mobile solution, personnel will be able to see call data and track sheriff and police unit locations using their vehicle laptops.

"Sometimes the only way to get the job done is to collaborate and cooperate," says Sgt. Traci Ricks, Churchill County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Supervisor. "We will be able to share call data, see where both agencies' units are, share report and person history data, and share all types of intelligence information."

Using Spillman's Jail Records module, personnel at the new Churchill County Jail can book an inmate quickly and efficiently, evaluate his or her medical history, maintain a detailed history for each inmate, and manage inmate appointments and court dates.

The sheriff's office also plans to use Spillman to share data with the Churchill County District Attorney's Office and the Churchill County Justice Court. The district attorney's office and the justice court will be able to access records data electronically and streamline the criminal justice process.

When the Churchill County Sheriff's Office went live with its software on Dec. 14, it became one of six agencies in Nevada and more than 800 agencies nationwide using Spillman software.

The Spillman software replaces what Haugen calls the agency's "aging and cumbersome" records management system. The sheriff office's previous 10-year-old system was compiled together using software from different vendors, he said. Data had to be entered multiple times at different points throughout the sheriff's office. In addition to increasing the workload, Haugen says this factor also created the potential for errors and duplicate records.

Churchill County Sheriff's Office Captain Jay Horsley added that his agency was impressed by Spillman's customer service and the positive experiences that the Fallon Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff's Office, another Nevada Spillman customer, had with the company.

Spillman Technologies provides a full range of integrated software solutions for public safety agencies, including Records Management, Computer-Aided Dispatch, Mobile Communications, Corrections Management, Fire/EMS Management, Resource Management, and Data Sharing.