Saturday, January 16, 1999
Butler Co. advised to scrap or upgrade computer system
BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON — A consultant's report on Butler County's controversial computer data system for criminal justice information outlines two choices for the county: Upgrade the system or dump it and start over.
Planning for the $1.7 million computer system began five years ago.
The project was supposed to create a centralized justice information system for the courts, the sheriff's department and the clerk of courts.
But only a small portion of it has been put into operation. Butler County Commissioner Mike Fox has criticized the technology for being outmoded and the company designing it — BIS Computer Solutions of La Crescenta, Calif. — for being too slow.
The commissioners hired the computer consulting firm of KPMG LLP of Dayton to review the BIS project. The company will present its report to the commissioners Thursday.
The report criticizes the county and BIS for mishandling the project. High-level county officials didn't spend enough time working on the project's details and didn't monitor the project closely enough, it says.
The report provides no cost estimates for upgrading the BIS system or for scrapping it and buying a new one. The county should evaluate its needs and decide whether it's worth the extra money and time to start over with a new system from a different vendor.
Before the county could ditch the BIS system, it would need to find out the status of its contract with BIS.
Wants fresh start
Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter, a member of the justice information system task force, strongly advocates buying a new system.
“I know enough about computer technology to know that we need to start fresh,” she said. “What we planned five years ago can't possibly apply to what's available today. (The BIS system) is 1980s technology.”
Last year, Ms. Carpenter discovered it would cost $250,000 to up grade the BIS software for her department.
With the help of a court order from Common Pleas Judge Michael Sage, she spent $320,000 for a system from a different vendor, Crawford Consulting Inc. of Canton, Ohio.
It began operating two weeks ago and includes not only state-of-the-art software that fits her department's needs, but also new computer hardware.
Timing criticized
The consultants' report says the county and BIS were unrealistic in thinking they could plan, design and implement the system in two years.
Ms. Carpenter disputes that.
Without disrupting its services, her department switched over to its new computer system in four months, she said.
“Butler County needs to seriously consider designing a system ready to integrate with the state of Ohio,” she said.
It's critical, she said, that Butler has the ability to send and receive criminal justice information through the state's computer system.
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