More than 1,300 of the pages also contain scanned mugshots. Dennis McDonough of the South Park Township Police recalled how a drug investigation two years ago dragged on because it was so difficult to track criminals. At one point, South Park Police spent a month trying to find the whereabouts of one criminal, only to learn over a cup of coffee that the neighboring police department knew where he was all the time. With the intranet, police departments can keep the lines of communication open via e-mail. Putting scanned mugshots on the Web has also helped.
Plans are under way to include photos of missing children and adults.
With so much momentum behind intranet technology, state and local governments might find it tempting to plunge in before they understand what their needs are. IBM's Ludwig believes governments should view the intranet as a way to open up the business of government. Used correctly, an intranet can benefit governments politically, fiscally and economically. To gain those benefits, Ludwig pointed out that governments have to address their concerns about intranet safety and security. So far only three states have done so.