Local

Online tool allows police to track criminals faster

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Police departments in the Charlotte region are about to get a lot more connected with each other.  A new online tool will allow them to track criminals with just the click of a button.

The program is called Coplink, and it gives police instant access to someone's criminal history, regardless of where the crime happened.  The nearly $4-million program was funded through a national grant.

“It runs the gamut, from suspect information to vehicle information to you name it," said Major Tim Danchess with CMPD.

Rock Hill's police department was the first outside of Charlotte to get the program.  Since the city is in South Carolina, it used to struggle getting information quickly from nearby police departments in North Carolina, but not anymore.

"Everything's linked under one roof, per se, and you can connect the dots a lot faster," said Rock Hill Police Department employee Damien Williams.

Fifteen agencies in the region already use the program, and CMPD is just days away from using it as well.  The goal is that by the end of next year, nearly 50 agencies in our region will also use the Coplink program.