The Criminal Research Information Management Evaluation System

Small Rural Border and Tribal Law enforcement agencies are frequently faced with prohibitive cost when acquiring, implementing and operating records management systems (RMS). These costs include those for software/system acquisition, software maintenance, and IT personnel for systems operation. An alternative to the typical RMS where an agency acquires a system and staffs and operates it independently is an RMS system shared by multiple agencies. One innovative model developed to offset the cost and meet the needs of smaller agencies is the Criminal Research Information Management Evaluation System (CRIMES) developed and operated by the Police Research Center at Sam Houston State University. This RMS system, which dates back to 1995, now serves 54 different local law enforcement agencies in the State of Texas. This comprehensive system is fee-based with annual fees ranging from $15,000-to $75,000+ depending on the size of the population the agency serves.