It is mine. I control it, and if someone wants it, they can come ask me for it. That view of information does not work in a Digital Age. Don Mace, special agent in charge at the California Department of Justice, agreed. Mace spearheaded the CAL GANG project that now links street gang detectives statewide.
Information is power because information means expertise.
And it is not just criminals that we in law enforcement are concerned about. In implementing the CAL GANG project, Mace has had to overcome these challenges on a regular basis. Set up as a network with seven nodes, including Los Angeles, there has often been resistance to embracing this powerful new tool. At the San Diego node, some gang detectives still keep their gang data on paper field-interview cards, and administrative volunteers have to input it into the computer system. As CAL GANG's information network grows, the state Department of Justice is adding new communities and wants to include state corrections and probation officials.