Anchorage Police customization of DIMS AV to include AD/LDAP for all users and custom interface for proprietary cameras:
Anchorage Police Department has been using DIMS for over six years. Anchorage asked about integrating DIMS with an interview room product that they were going
to piece together. Linear offered a demonstration and evaluation unit of the DIMS AV interview room system. The only condition that Anchorage had was that the solution absolutely needed to support the highly proprietary Mobotix S14D digital IP video cameras that a Police Administrator had purchased specifically for the project. Linear obtained one of the cameras and had to write an interface and codec specifically for the camera. Linear created a customized DIMS AV system and integrated the cameras. The DIMS AV was highly successful but the cameras were a significant failure with frame rates between six and twelve frames per second and low image quality. The end result is Anchorage is purchasing DIMS AV systems and new cameras. Linear did not charge for the extensive development required to create the codec.
Washington DC Metro Consolidated Crime Laboratory customization for Leica and bulk download of assets for DOJ:
In 2013, Linear delivered and configured a large DIMS implementation at DC Metro. As an Agency that supports and directly interacts with approximately forty-six other local, state, and federal Agencies on a daily basis and shares evidence and information through connection with the DIMS Viewer. The Federal Prosecuting
Attorneys at the Department of Justice had a desire to not only view assets but to have the ability to acquire the digital assets locally for printing and/or writing of DVD/Blu-ray discs. It was determined that, for investigative purposes, they only needed working copies of the information/evidence and the Crime Lab required all assets to be watermarked. Linear and DC Metro designed a workflow and Linear Programmers invested over two hundred hours in creating the customized capabilities. It was determined that it would also be desirable to have the capability of encrypting all the data on the DVD and only allowing access with a password. This solution had to be designed so as the functionality and performance of the existing system was not impacted and the chain of custody maintained. The solution was delivered to Washington DC Metro, implemented and integrated in about three weeks and delivered and implemented at no charge. This feature designed by DC Metro has become an extremely popular enhancement to the DIMS solution for Agencies sharing data/information/evidence with their local Prosecuting Attorneys.
Additionally, DC Metro asked if Linear could incorporate data sets from the three Leica ScanStations that they purchased to do 3D scans and wireframes of high profile crime scenes and OIS incidents. Linear worked with DC Metro and Leica to create an easy to use process to import the extremely large files required for each scene and to launch Leica’s proprietary player and photogrammetry application from within DIMS. This proved to be a technically challenging interface and workflow but it was accomplished within several weeks, all at no charge to DC Metro PD. Currently, all photos, audio, video, and 3D scans anywhere is the city are incorporated into the DIMS ImageServer for classification, distribution, and archive. Plans are to add many additional features and integration capability for Property and Evidence and LIMS for the Crime Lab.
Tucson Police Department Advance Print Ordering Module:
Tucson Police Department probably holds the record for the most requested customizations. They also, regularly participate in the design of new features and capabilities and as an Alpha tester over the ten years of ownership. One of the most significant requests by Tucson PD was when the City IT was upgrading all
computers in the Department and there was a requirement to purchase new software licenses for Microsoft Access for every computer in the Department. MS Access was used to track print order requests and statistics for the Digital Photo Lab. As a cost saving request, Tucson PD’s DIMS Administrator asked if it was possible for Linear to create a database to track all requests for all information/evidence requested for print or DVD. Linear Software Engineers determined that if we were to create the product, the specifications should go way beyond the original design. The product that Linear delivered to Tucson PD was the DIMS Advanced Print Ordering module which included a mechanism for all users of the system to request CD/DVD/Blu-ray, photographic prints, transcription, and other services or products from the Lab. Additionally, a receipt for the request, a database queue for authorizing requests, automation for printing the envelopes for delivery, authoring of the discs or printing of the photos, a complete history log of completed orders, and statistical reporting for cost savings and justifications. The resultant product Linear created increased efficiency in the Photo Lab saving approximately ten hours per week and saved the City of Tucson tens of thousands of dollars in software upgrade costs. Linear did not charge the City of Tucson for these additional capabilities.