Lessons from Highland Park Police About Collaboration and Data Sharing

Data-sharing and agency collaboration is the key to preventing the next mass casualty. By now, we have all read about the tragedy that occurred during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, as a gunman opened fire on the crowd from a rooftop, killed six people and injured many more. Unfortunately, this is just one in a list of more than 300 mass shootings that have occurred in 2022 so far in the United States.  

As each of these mass shooting stories are reported, we not only learn details about the victims and communities in which they occurred, but many of the stories also focus on how local police agencies responded in times of crisis.  

In the case of the Highland Park shooting, not only were local Highland Park officers called to the scene, but within minutes, officers from more than a dozen neighboring communities rushed to Highland Park to provide support and to collaborate on finding the gunman. Within hours, the suspected shooter was stopped in his car by officers from North Chicago in the nearby town of Lake Forest. He was apprehended as a result of multiple police departments from multiple towns working together.  

One lesson to take away from this is the importance of sharing crime data across jurisdictions with ease and a sense of urgency. When agencies share data in real time, the effectiveness and efficiency of officers to track and solve crime increases.  

Fortunately, as technology evolves, it becomes easier for agencies to work together.  In the fight against crime, it is critical that agencies across the Nation share information and work together. The apprehension of the mass shooter in Illinois is just one example of the power of data sharing and collaboration. 

Agencies need to take advantage of modern software to enable them to share criminal data across jurisdictions with ease and a sense of urgency. Beyond agencies working together in response to a mass shooting, sharing data is also incredibly impactful for solving other crimes. For example, if a crime is committed in one jurisdiction and then another crime committed in another jurisdiction, agencies that share data can equip officers with real-time knowledge of a suspect’s criminal activity. Harnessing the power of a modern records management system can track and solve crime much quicker and much more effectively. 

CivicEye remembers and honors the victims of the July 4th tragedy and is committing to equipping officers with technology that will improve community outcomes.