Kentucky E-Warrants

Revolutionizing Law Enforcement

Problem

In September 2000, Benjamin Mills killed his estranged girlfriend, Rebecca Caldwell. Mills confessed to the crime and is serving a life sentence. The crime could have been avoided. Court records show a warrant for Mills’ arrest on domestic violence charges was issued before the killing, but by the time the warrant was ready to be served six days later, it was too late for Rebecca Caldwell.

Background

300,000 outstanding paper warrantsDecentralized housing of warrants (120 counties)Slow to be issued Minimal accountability – some were lost Double service issue Low rate of entry into the Law Enforcement Information Network of Kentucky (LINK) system (6%)Lower rate of entry into NCIC (3%) No 24/7 access statewide

Solution

Implement a web-based electronic warrants system– Automate complaint to warrant to service process– Accessible 24/7 state wide– User friendly

No cost to local agencies

InterNetE-Warrants SQL Server

DB

E-Warrants Web Server

STEP 4: E-Warrant Users perform Queries & SearchesLog On Process Queries

JailerSheriff’s

Office Police

Possible Users:Sheriff’s OfficeLaw EnforcementJailersClerks

STEP 5: Printing & Serving the Warrant

Log on, Process Queries, Print Warrant, & go to Jail

E-Warrants Process Flow

Smartphone Compatible

Judges can authorize warrants using smart phonesQuote from Jefferson County District Court Judge Donald Armstrong during Governor Steve Beshear’s December 2008 E-Warrants Press Conference: “I signed three of them while the governor was talking.”

Local Perspective - Use/Benefits

Out with the “beat packs”Accessible to all officers via MDC or desktopSorted and assigned by Division/BeatHistory/audit trail kept on everyone viewing a warrantEntire process is much quicker than in the paper world

Local Success

04-01-08 1315 hrs: Detective G. Huffman provides sworn statement to Jefferson County Mediation Clerk to secure an arrest warrant for Kenneth P. Gatewood for Murder, Robbery 1st and Tampering with Physical Evidence in the shooting death of Kevin Muniz-Vargas on 03-16-06.

Local Success, Cont’d

E-Warrant #E05610000002671:– 04-01-08 1335 hrs: Complaint issued by County

Attorney– 04-01-08 1345 hrs: Arrest Warrant Approved by

Judge– 04-01-08 1400 hrs: Arrest Warrant entered into

LINK– 04-02-08 0330 hrs: Kenneth Gatewood arrested

E-Warrant #E05610000002671

E-Warrant #E05610000002671 – History

State Perspective

Kentucky State Police maintains the system and provides 24/7 third tier technical support.16 KSP Dispatch Centers access the system to assist with service of warrants for counties not on E-Warrants.Working with the FBI to allow for the electronic transfer of E-Warrants into NCIC.

State E-Warrant Statistics

State E-Warrants Statistics

114,010 Warrants in E-Warrants– Bench Warrants, Arrest Warrants, Warrants on Indictment– Includes Converted Paper Bench & Arrest Warrants

37,478 (or 33.1%) have been Resolved (Served or Recalled)– These numbers included converted Bench Warrants & Warrants of Arrest.

Service Rate of 75% of Day-Forward, New Warrants of Arrest (4,540 of 6,055)

Resolution Rate (Served & Rescinded) of 67.9% on Day Forward, New Bench Warrants– The Service Rate on New Bench Warrants is 43.9%.

Resolution Rate (Served or Recalled) of 14.7% (9,902 of 67,164) on the Archived Bench Warrants

Service Rate of 10.9% (782 of 7,167) on the Converted Paper Warrants of Arrest and Warrants on Indictments

Implementation Plan

Implement in Judicial Districts (one to multiple counties)Train-the-trainer sessionsGo live date includes:– District and Circuit Court functionality– Overnight conversion of Bench Warrants– Pre-implementation conversion of paper arrest

warrants

Next Steps/Enhancements

Implement EPO/DVO functionalityImplement Search WarrantsInterface to Drivers License System for photosInterface to AFIS for mug shots

Lessons Learned

Judge sponsorship is criticalJurisdictional System Administrator– Computer literate– Solid cross-agency relationships

Right folks at the table from the beginningOutreach, more outreach, and then some! Improve with each implementation

Questions

Lt. Charles Edelen, Louisville Metro Police Department, Charles.Edelen@louisvilleky.govSgt. Shane Bates, Kentucky State Police, Shane.Bates@ky.govMary Pedersen, CIO, Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, Mary.Pedersen@ky.govRep. Alecia Webb-Edgington, Kentucky General Assembly, Alecia.Webb-Edgington@lrc.ky.gov

Addendum

First E-Warrant

Jefferson County District Court Judge Donald Armstrong signs Kentucky’s first E-Warrant.

Key Stakeholders

Kentucky Office of Homeland Security

Kentucky State Police

Administrative Office of the Courts