The Ocala Police Department is upgrading its crime mapping software.
During yesterday’s Ocala City Council meeting, council members voted unanimously to approve the Ocala Police Department’s request for the purchase of upgraded software.
Existing budget funds will cover the $104,200 cost for Tableau, OPD’s newest software.
For the past five years, OPD has used software called CrimeView to map crimes across the city, facilitate allocation of resources, and to track crime trends and patterns.
CrimeView uses Microsoft Silverlight, which is no longer being patched for security vulnerabilities as of October 2021.
OPD spent a few months considering their options, which included switching to a cloud-based software. During Tuesday’s meeting, Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken indicated he did not feel comfortable with storing sensitive information on the cloud, and ultimately chose Tableau.
With Tableau, OPD will be able to track data-related crimes, monitor benchmarks in communication services such as dropped 911 calls, and the software also helps with internal matters such as staffing and employee performance.
The purchase of Tableau will include an annual license and support contract for software support for $66,000, plus any applicable cost increases.