Thinkstream, Inc., Normatt, Inc. help keep parish law enforcement agencies operational during Hurricane Rita

Backup Protection System Pays Off for Louisiana Criminal Network

BATON ROUGE, La., Sept. 29 – Officials with Thinkstream, Inc., a leading software development company specializing in criminal justice applications, and Normat Network Solutions, Inc., a Louisiana-based IT firm, say their efforts to keep several Louisiana state law enforcement agencies online and operational during and after Hurricane Rita were successful.

The two companies, along with the Louisiana Civil and Criminal Information Network, or LACCIE, implemented backups of significant law enforcement databases in the southern and western parts of Louisiana, several days before Hurricane Rita hit on Sept. 24.

The LACCIE Network, developed and implemented in partnership with Thinkstream, Inc., supports over 350 criminal justice databases at the state, local and federal levels. The system allows over 150 Louisiana law enforcement agencies and officers in the field who participate in the network to access criminal information instantly and simultaneously from their desks, vehicles or handheld devices. The statewide system remained fully operational throughout and after Hurricane Rita.

Backing up the system not only protected sensitive data but also allowed parishes that lost power and experienced flooding during and after the hurricane alternate access to critical local, state and federal systems. Critical criminal justice information was backed up for Acadia, Calhoun, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, and Vermillion Parishes and several others that were under a mandatory evacuation. The Lake Charles Police Department also was included in the backup system.

Cameron and Vermillion parishes, which suffered widespread serious damage from the storm's wind and rain, both lost power but still had access to the statewide network. These agencies, as well as others in the area, were able to operate during the threat and aftermath of the storm by accessing backup files stored in the hub outside of the hurricane zone, Thinkstream, Inc. CEO Barry Bellue said. As a result, there was no significant disruption to the distribution of critical information involving a criminal, he said.

"These backups not only enabled the statewide system to survive, they allowed law enforcement agencies in areas affected by Rita to continue their job of protecting their community," Bellue said. "This technology saves time, allows for more productivity in the field and ultimately, more arrests and a safer community. We don't want that to stop because of a hurricane," he said.

About Thinkstream
Thinkstream, Inc., a leading software development company based in Baton Rouge, specializes in criminal justice applications that tie agencies together securely giving them the ability to rapidly share critical information across organizational, agency and geographic boundaries. The company has linked over 150 agencies in eight regions of the state, making LACCIE the largest civil and criminal information network in the nation. The company also operates systems in Texas, Florida and California.

CEO Barry Bellue, who also founded Fifth Generation Systems, a national top 20 software company acquired by Symantec, established Thinkstream over nine years ago. Mr. Bellue heads a team of engineers with over 60 years combined experience in designing Web-based integrated information networks for businesses and criminal justice agencies across the nation.

Thinkstream, Inc. is an active member of the Internet Working Group for Justice Integration Committee. Established by the U.S. Department of Justice, committee members contribute their knowledge and experience to promote and implement integrated information systems (IJIS) throughout the country.

About Normat Network Solutions, Inc.
Normat Network Solutions, Inc, is a Louisiana-based company founded by a retired Sheriff Deputy with over 20 years of law enforcement experience specializing in IT solutions for law enforcement.

About LACCIE
With over 350 databases at the local, state and federal levels, Louisiana Civil and Criminal Information Network, LACCIE, is considered the largest integrated justice network in the nation. Working with over 150 statewide agencies, including Police Departments, Sheriff's Offices, District Attorney's, Clerks of Courts, Judicial Courts, Corrections and many others, LACCIE, with the help of Thinkstream, Inc. has established and maintained 13 regional Hubs. The Hub supports a network that allows over 5,500 users the ability to make daily queries using a suite of critical applications.