Securing public safety across an entire state with intelligent cloud integration
- Manages comprehensive criminal justice information systems as a state-level public safety department
- Serves thousands of law enforcement officers statewide through critical information sharing and processing
Objectives
Why Unisys?
- Three decades of justice domain expertise with a proven track record in complex criminal justice modernization
- Best-of-breed strategy partner ecosystem delivering specialized solutions through strategic collaboration with technology experts
- Proven government cloud deployment with Azure expertise and Agile/DevSecOps implementation methodologies
Solution
Unisys Hybrid Cloud Transformation Services, for a phased approach to migration and modernization, and Unisys Application Development and Transformation, building secure experiences without disrupting daily operations:
- Implemented mission-critical commercial-off-the-shelf solutions in the cloud (Microsoft Azure Government cloud) to replace legacy on-premises solutions, providing secure, compliant hosting with automated deployment for state operations
- Deployed the Law Enforcement Message Switch/Justice Exchange (LEMS/JX) message switching platform with proven technology and configurable table-driven architecture
Integrated partner solutions, including:
- A national database synchronization module to help ensure data integrity and updates with national law enforcement databases
- InfoImage Enterprise Content Management with integrated workflow and HTML5 interface for high-volume processing
- Enterprise integration middleware enabling rapid integration across on-premise and cloud environments
- A dedicated background check subsystem supporting Brady firearm background checks, civil applicants, and Rap Back capabilities
- A search portal platform with proven Government Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) capabilities following implementations at other state agencies
- A browser-based certification system supporting National Crime Information Center (NCIC) training requirements
- A fingerprint archiving system that electronically stores and retrieves fingerprint cards with 24/7 web access
Results and benefits
- Streamlined IT operations and reduced state dependency by transferring critical responsibilities to Unisys, improving agility and freeing state resources
- Automated manual processes, delivering measurable time savings, fewer errors, and dramatically faster response times for civil background checks, clearances, and fingerprint record access across multiple user types
- Modernized the user experience with intuitive web-based interfaces, single sign-on, and improved agency connectivity, enabling faster adoption and cross-training across background check types
- Improved data quality by reducing redundant entry, minimizing errors, and ensuring reliable NCIC synchronization
- Strengthened public safety and future readiness through a resilient cloud infrastructure with disaster recovery, expanding citizen and law enforcement access to vital criminal justice information and laying a foundation for future modernization
From fragmented legacy to unified intelligence
Managing public safety across a state demands a technology infrastructure that never fails. This large state public safety agency coordinates criminal justice information for thousands of law enforcement officers while serving citizens through complex background checks, criminal history management, and real-time information sharing. When their legacy platform required modernization, leadership recognized an opportunity to build a unified criminal justice ecosystem that could scale with evolving public safety demands.
The challenge extended beyond simple technology replacement. The existing Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) operated on tightly integrated, interdependent technology that limited flexibility and future growth. Manual and paper-based workflows consumed valuable time when officers needed instant access to accurate information. The agency's vision demanded a comprehensive solution to enhance public safety capabilities while maintaining the high regulatory compliance standards required by government operations.
Unisys understood that modernizing public safety technology requires deep expertise in both complex technical systems and urgent operational needs. Rather than proposing standard technology deployment, Unisys teams worked as integrated extensions of the agency's operations, combining deep criminal justice domain expertise with proven cloud infrastructure capabilities.
This collaborative foundation proved essential, as the project scope encompassed everything from message-switching modernization to the implementation of comprehensive content management. The agency's operational knowledge guided technical decisions, while Unisys' proven methodologies ensured seamless transitions without compromising critical law enforcement functions. The cultural alignment enabled creative problem-solving that addressed immediate modernization needs and long-term operational flexibility.
Unisys migrated the agency's services to the Microsoft Azure Government cloud using proven automated deployment templates designed to meet government security and compliance requirements. The team then implemented Unisys' proprietary LEMS/JX, replacing legacy infrastructure with configurable, table-driven technology that supports traditional and modern interfaces, including the National Information Exchange Model XML and web services.
The CJIS-compliant integrated cloud and messaging architecture serves as the operational foundation for all criminal justice information processing across the state, with Agile methodologies and DevSecOps automation improving efficiencies and reducing costs.
Working together, the teams systematically modernized each system component using a best-of-breed approach with commercial off-the-shelf and GOTS solutions. Building on the LEMS/JX foundation, the national-database synchronization module maintained critical data integrity while enabling extensibility to meet future requirements and reliable synchronization with NCIC.
The comprehensive solution included a dedicated background-check subsystem supporting Brady firearm background checks, civil applicant processing, personal identification checks, and Rap Back capabilities. Additionally, using a modern content management platform, the search portal provided secure web-based access for internal users, criminal justice partners, and the general public. To help ensure operational excellence, the certification system helps guarantee proper operator training across the modernized technology ecosystem.
The fingerprint archiving system electronically stores, forwards, retrieves, and prints 10-print cards with 24/7 web client access. Working seamlessly with live scan and booking systems, it automatically creates electronic copies within the archive as records are created, enabling personnel to search, view, edit, compare, or print any stored data.
The technical architecture’s strength came from its integration capabilities and partner ecosystem. Enterprise integration middleware enabled rapid enterprise integration across on-premises and cloud environments using industry-standard protocols and messaging, ensuring seamless data flow between all system components. This integration foundation supports current operations while providing flexibility for incremental system additions and modifications as the agency's needs evolve.
The collaborative approach brought together specialized partners across user interface design, search portal and middleware, background check workflow processing, certification systems, and fingerprint management. This best-of-breed collaborative strategy avoided the inevitable compromises of single-vendor solutions while maintaining the agency's vision for operational flexibility.
Meanwhile, Unisys InfoImage’s enterprise content management capabilities provided sophisticated document processing with integrated workflow and records management, ideally suited for high volumes of documents arriving as paper, electronic files, and digital transactions. The HTML5 portlet-based interface enabled deployment without programming, while workflow rules could be configured to meet specific operational requirements.
These innovations created operational capabilities that extend far beyond individual system improvements. The integrated platform enables comprehensive criminal justice information sharing, enhancing public safety outcomes while maintaining strict privacy and security standards.
The impact of modernization reaches every aspect of criminal justice within the state. Automated processes have eliminated time-consuming manual workflows, enabling personnel to focus on higher-value activities directly supporting public safety. Enhanced data quality and reduced error rates mean more accurate information reaches decision-makers when needed.
Citizens benefit from dramatically reduced response times for background checks and other services, while law enforcement officers gain improved access to critical information that supports informed decision-making. The web-based portal architecture enables secure access for internal users, criminal justice partners, and the public, delivering comprehensive services that meet diverse stakeholder needs.
The platform's reliability and performance help ensure critical law enforcement functions continue without interruption, while its scalability supports future growth and capability expansion. Unisys' managed cloud and application solutions provide proactive monitoring and rapid problem resolution, maintaining the service level agreements critical to law enforcement operations.
This comprehensive integration architecture enables future enhancements to keep pace with evolving law enforcement needs and technological capabilities. The solid foundation now in place makes enhanced analytics and advanced automation opportunities possible.
The partnership with Unisys continues to evolve. Both organizations are committed to advancing public safety technology capabilities that protect communities and support law enforcement effectiveness.