Background: 

After 9/11, law enforcement agencies recognized a need for improved communication and information sharing. Traditional methods of disseminating bulletins, through emails or other manual processes, were slow, labor-intensive, and often inconsistent across agencies. These inefficiencies created information gaps that could impact public safety and response effectiveness. To bridge these gaps, FINDER, originally a nonprofit, focused on data sharing, developed the FINDER Bulletin System. This system modernizes bulletin sharing, making critical information universally accessible, searchable, and actionable. 

Challenges: 

• Lack of Standardization: Agencies use varied bulletin formats, making it hard to share and search for information consistently. Often, each agency (or even department) has unique formats, creating hurdles for effective information exchange. 

• Manual Processes: Law enforcement personnel manually code and extract data from bulletins for data sharing platforms like HISN (Homeland Security Information Network), which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. 

• Data Management: Bulletins often contain valuable data like license plates, photos, and narrative descriptions. Without an efficient way to extract and utilize this information, much of it remains underutilized. 

Solution: FINDER Bulletin System 

The FINDER Bulletin System leverages advanced AI-powered tools to automate bulletin processing, making critical information from multiple agencies searchable, standardized, and instantly accessible. This system works with secure uploading methods (including SFTP, email uploads, and direct platform uploads) and integrates with HISN, enabling broader dissemination and interoperability across law enforcement. 

Key Features: 

• Automated Bulletin Processing (AIBIDS): FINDER’s Artificial Intelligence Bulletin Ingestion and Distribution System (AIBIDS) uses AI to analyze and categorize incoming bulletins, standardizing formats, and extracting searchable metadata (e.g., descriptions of suspects, vehicle information). 

• Elastic Search Capabilities: The system enhances the searchability of narrative data, enabling officers to quickly locate and retrieve relevant information. 

• Real-time Alerts: FINDER provides automated alerts for new and relevant information, helping fusion centers and agencies quickly respond to emerging threats. 

• Standardized LPR Integration: License Plate Reader (LPR) data integration allows agencies to automate the matching of LPR data across multiple databases, helping to streamline investigations and enhance situational awareness. 

Outcomes: 

Since implementing the FINDER Bulletin System, agencies report: 

• 75% Reduction in Manual Processing Time**: By automating bulletin ingestion and standardization, fusion centers can focus on higher-priority tasks rather than manually coding bulletin data. 

• Enhanced Situational Awareness: Agencies can now access standardized, searchable bulletins across jurisdictions, making critical information instantly available and actionable. 

• Improved Interagency Collaboration: FINDER's platform supports interoperability, bridging gaps between disparate law enforcement data systems and streamlining multi-agency response efforts. 

Conclusion: 

The FINDER Bulletin System is transforming the way law enforcement agencies communicate and share information. By modernizing the bulletin process and enhancing data accessibility, FINDER helps agencies improve their response times, reduce labor-intensive tasks, and ultimately, protect communities more effectively. For agencies seeking to maximize the potential of their data-sharing efforts, the FINDER Bulletin System offers an essential solution for law enforcement agencies of all sizes.