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A Dashboard Is Fighting Crime In Maryland

May 25, 2010
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By Matt Bush

A dashboard is being credited for a five percent drop in violent crime in Maryland last year. The law enforcement dashboard is really just a computer. But it allows police officers the ability to check 92 different databases all at once from their patrol car.

Kristin Mahoney, the director of governor Martin O'Malley's office of crime control and prevention, says the dashboard has made everything faster. She says officers can find more than just criminal and court records in the database.

"He can access what kind of car they drive. He can access their pictures. He can access whether they have a gun. He can access whether he has a hunting license. He can access whether they have a license with the department of labor, licensing and regulation to be a mortician or a beautician. He can access whether they have pawned anything in the last 30 days," says Mahoney.

Maryland saw a drop in all violent crimes except rape last year.

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