Paul Wormeli, IJIS Technology and Architecture Committee

The rate at which technology innovation is evolving is overwhelming for justice agencies and the public sector community to accommodate. The IJIS Technology and Architecture Committee (ITAC) and recently appointed Chair, Paul Wormeli of Wormeli Consulting LLC, aims to keep that in check by raising awareness on technologies, architectures, standards and associated privacy and security issues that are not universally understood within the public sector.

When asked about the appointment, the former IJIS Executive Director stated “The speed of innovation in information technology offers amazing opportunities as well as challenges for justice and public safety and other disciplines, and both industry and government want to know how to take advantage of the many exciting and disruptive new technologies.  The ITAC is a place to think through how advanced and emerging technologies can improve public service and create strategies for doing so.”

Jim Buckley, Law Enforcement Advisory Committee (LEAC)

The lack of national information sharing, effective technology procurements, and guiding policies continues to be a major obstacle for law enforcement executives and support IT professionals. The IJIS Institute’s Law Enforcement Advisory Committee (LEAC) helps enhance that gap by offering expertise and advice on innovative standards and technologies, with the ultimate goal of uniting industry and government in pursuit of national information-sharing goals. A former longtime special agent with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and member of the private sector, Jim Buckley, will spearhead the group moving forward. When asked about his vision, Buckley stated, “My vision for the LEAC is to promote the further advancement of information sharing in a way that can be easily accepted and utilized not only by law enforcement but all government operations, such as school safety, etc.”

Casey Roussel, Justice and Public Safety Advanced Analytics Committee

It is integral for industry leaders and public sector agencies to understand analytical capabilities, limitations, and use case applicability so they can glean value from their databases and maximize the capacity of their workforces while enabling public trust and transparency. These necessities are why the IJIS Institute appointed industry leader Casey Roussel, FusionStak’s President and CCO, to serve as the Chair of the JPSAAC. In this changing world of the instantaneous need for data to make timely decisions, he will lead this group to enhance the community’s understanding of advanced analytics.

When asked about his appointment, Roussel stated, “Being chosen to serve as a Committee Chairman is a huge honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. Data analytics will play a significant role in the future of Public Safety and the IJIS Institute has the opportunity to help shape that future. The purpose of our committee is to create a proven strategy on how public safety entities can use data analytics to best serve their communities.”

Larry Zorio, IJIS Cybersecurity Working Group

As part of the ITAC’s reemergence at the forefront of giving guidance on architectures and standards, the IJIS Institute has developed a Cybersecurity Working Group (under the ITAC) dedicated to enhancing the security posture for justice and public safety agencies. Our new Chair of this Working Group, Chief Information Security Officer Larry Zori of Mark43, will lead the group to identify and catalog tools, processes, techniques, and practices that can yield immediate benefits for the IJIS domains of focus.

Zorio, who comes to Mark43 and this Working Group after 20 years of experience in the Finance, Healthcare, MedTech, and now Public Safety sectors stated “You can’t turn on the television or read the news without hearing about cybersecurity challenges impacting our local, tribal, state, and federal agencies. The IJIS Cybersecurity Working Group will focus on delivering meaningful cybersecurity information, tools, processes, and even events that will service those same agencies, both large and small.”

Tom Herzog, IJIS Corrections Advisory Committee

Corrections has often been an under-represented component of the justice and public safety ecosystem. Despite this, the IJIS Institute through the Corrections Advisory Committee has made enormous strides in the advancement of technology and information-sharing initiatives to make more informed decisions about their inmates and operations. Since taking over the Committee in April, longtime executive for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and previous President for the Corrections Technology Association, Tom Herzog, has hit the ground running with multiple initiatives as part of this group’s immediate priorities. This includes strengthening its membership, finalizing the well-regarded Corrections Common Business Specifications document, and looking at new ways to reimagine Corrections as we know it.

When asked about the future of the group, Herzog stated, “Our focus for 2023 and beyond is the reimagining of corrections through a technology lens. Toward that objective, our plans include an examination of both applied and emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Analytics to help modernize corrections practices in the US and abroad”.

Joseph Courtesis, Real Time Crime Center Working Group

For years, the IJIS Institute has played an integral role in developing a national model for information sharing through the development of Real Time Crime Centers (RTCC) and assisting with their operations. In coordination with the National Real Time Crime Center Association, the IJIS Institute has developed a working group that will focus on the advancement of information sharing and the development of data-driven standards among the RTCC communities. Joseph Courtesis, who served as the New York Police Department’s Commanding Officer for their Real Time Crime Center for over 26 years will lead the group.