CriMNet helps connect the dots.

It allows a sheriff in far northern Roseau County, a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension agent in the Twin Cities , a probation officer in Rochester and a district court judge in Houston County to have the same, accurate and, perhaps most importantly, up-to-date information on criminals.

It tightens the cracks in the criminal justice system making it less likely wrong-doers will slip through.

Tom Kooy, deputy director of CriMNet, has dozens of examples like the convicted murderer of Katie Poirer and the suspected ringleader of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America.

Kooy believes CriMNet will also keep track of the criminal mundane. Dead-beat dads, for instance, who avoid

paying child support.

It will also trip up stalkers and abusive husbands, who ignore orders for protection.

CriMNet will do all that and make good business sense, too. How many tax dollars and how many public employers does it take to process weapons prohibition and arrest warrant information, pretrial release data, conviction status on all offense levels, post-conviction restrictive prohibition conditions, detention/incarceration data, alcohol driving convictions, juvenile arrests and conviction data as well as all the other esoteric, but necessary, facts of criminal justice life?

Start at "hundreds of millions of dollars" and go higher fast.

Kooy is on the road across Minnesota explaining CriMNet in anticipation of it becoming a prominent issue of the election campaigns and the 2003 Minnesota legislative session.

As he explains it, "Currently, Minnesota's 1,100 law enforcement agencies do not have an integrated computer system to track criminals.

"CriMNet, a new, integrated information system will connect criminal and juvenile justice systems throughout Minnesota," Kooy said. "It will provide a 'network of networks' so that a judge in Mower County or a police officer in Minneapolis will have the same, accurate and up-to-date information on criminals."

Mower County Sheriff Barry J. Simonson is among the "believers."

Simonson said, "I believe it certainly would help law enforcement track criminals."

When peace officers stop a motorist today, "All we can get is wants and warrants, but not much more," Simonson said.

"With CriMNet, if we put the name and date of birth into the system we'll know a lot more about that person," Simonson said.

"It could be enough for probable cause to initiate a search or it could be information that would warn the officer that the person is really dangerous; perhaps a felon with a history of assaulting law enforcement officers," he said. "Having more information will help law enforcement do its job."

CriMNet is like the Internet. "It is a system of systems designed to work and share information will all criminal justice agencies," Kooy said.

In this case, CriMNet is a secure intranet system that will link criminal justice jurisdictions by using common business practices and a standard computer language.

The idea was borne of a dilemma: criminals and suspects can remain free to re-offend simply because a police record in one county does not get to a judge in another county.

"This means many senseless murders and other crimes could have been prevented if only prosecutors, police officers or judges had accurate information," Kooy said. "Right now they are relying on 1970s technology or worse."

Kooy points to the murder of Katie Poirer as one example, but his other example carries greater significance.

Mohammed Atta, suspected of being the ringleader behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was pulled over for a traffic violation shortly before Sept. 11.

"The officer let Atta go free because

he didn't know that Atta was on

a 'watch' list," said Kooy. "Currently, this federal information is not readily available to other levels of law enforcement. With CriMNet, it could be."

So intrigued by the implications of CriMNet are federal authorities, that they have made it a potential "role model" for development of a nationwide network of information systems.

This means the possibility of federal funding and ? funding is something Kooy needs lots of for CriMNet.

Although the Minnesota Legislature has been

supportive with $27 million in early funding for the program, more is needed -- between $100 and $150 million a year over the next two years.

Because of the state's own budget crisis, funding for CriMNet may be as elusive as the criminals Kooy hopes the system will snare.

Kooy is buoyed by the support CriMNet has received from the Minnesota Business Partnership and the powerful former state senator Duane Benson.

Pointing out how business has embraced the idea, Kooy said CriMNet "makes good business sense" by reducing criminal justice expenditures with a one-time, albeit large, investment in the tracking system.

Kooy imagines when electronic digital fingerprinting and photo images will help tighten the noose around criminals and take an even larger bite out of crime.

After all, the basic purpose of the system is to

ensure accountability for offenders and greater public safety.

"We will be able to make decision based on the accurate, up-to-date information we have at our fingertips," Kooy said. "Who knows what might have happened had we had the full criminal history of Donald Blom before he murdered Katie Poirer. That we didn't is a travesty."

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at :mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com