ImageFiler LawEnforcement

Authors
  • avatar
    Name
    Paul Bonnette
    Twitter

History

ImageFiler LE was originally developed as a FoxPro application. Back then we created custom applications on a per contract basis.

I refactored the application into Delphi/Interbase and converted this into a standard application called ImageFiler LE, complete with installation disks.

It was now a client/server application. Where FoxPro allowed each computer to access the database equally, this architecture favored placing as much business logic as possible on the server.

Specifications

  • Unify and Refactor - Refactor existing FoxPro booking applications into a single client-server application.
  • Inmate Booking - Take the inmates picture and demographics.
  • Improve Lineups - The ability to build quick and accurate lineups.
  • Digital Imaging Instead of Photography - For the first time special and very expensive cameras were replacing film cameras. These new cameras required special video cards which were very expensive. They also had troubles handling the bright orange jumper suites, but our hardware department figured that part out by using special lighting.

Suppose a witness comes forward claiming they were attacked by a man with green hair, brown eyes and a beard.

In the past lineups would require a booking officer to go through inmate booking photos which matched the description of the witness. This could take hours or even day. Often the lineup was small, consisting of only six to eight photos and had mistakes if a certain description could not be found.

Our new system could find all images which matched the search criteria and allowed the booking officer to pick the best ones for as large a lineup as possible. Now a lineup of eight or more inmates was possible, and in mere seconds! Because the inmates in the lineup matched the description perfectly the lineup was more likely to pass judicial scrutiny and even better you were less likely to accuse the wrong man.

Integrations

Instead of different flavors of the application I created standard integrations which could plug-and-play as needed.

Our Legacy

ImageFiler LE was installed all over NY state and the surrounding northeastern US.

One flavor was even installed on a Citrix-based server for Massachusetts State Police Department.

All-in-all the final application was a smashing success.