Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin made a strong pitch at the March 9 Lehigh County Commissioners meeting for renewing a contract with Computer Aid, Inc., a company providing support to the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center. The company has had the RIIC contract since 2011.

Martin spoke at length to the commissioners saying, “Since that time they’ve been providing support and maintenance and doing an outstanding job. We’ve had a very good relationship with them.”

He said the RIIC has proved to be an essential tool for law enforcement Lehigh County.

Martin said Northampton County Association of Police Chiefs in 2014 and 2015 received a grant that allowed integration of data from all the Northampton County police departments and the RIIC has become “a truly regional facility for law enforcement use.

“I really can’t praise Computer Aid, Inc. enough. They’re a great organization. They’ve provided great support and maintenance to the RIIC.”

The RIIC is a law enforcement resource serving the Lehigh Valley and governed by Martin. It is staffed with criminal intelligence analysts and county detectives who provide investigative case support to local, state and federal law enforcement authorities.

Julia Kocis, director of the RIIC, manages the center’s personnel and consultants from Computer Aid, Inc., who provide software development and maintenance for the RIIC’s custom technology solution. The RIIC also hosts internships established with local colleges for students majoring in the criminal justice field.

President Commissioner Geoff Brace said he remembers the skepticism about the RIIC when it was first proposed.

“I remember some of the flack the district attorney [James Martin] received from the board [of commissioners], trying to justify the cost versus outcome. It became clear when you [Martin] showed how RIIC helped to solve a murder of a student that I had when I was teaching.”

Brace was referring to Tyree Wimberly who was murdered in Bethlehem Jan. 26, 2013.

According to information provided by the district attorney, RIIC has been directly involved with supporting various law enforcement agencies as they solve crimes across the Lehigh Valley. For example, RIIC has assisted in homicide investigations in Upper Macungie Township, Bethlehem, Allentown and for the district attorney’s offices in both Lehigh County and Northampton County.

Other investigation assistance has been provided in a wide range of crimes besides murder: narcotics, theft to include auto theft, arson, drug related death, gang activities and missing persons.

The contract provides the company will bill the county as services are provided at an agreed table of rates per hour for specific skill level of employees. For example, a “software and system architect” would be paid $140 per hour for work under the contract.

In a bipartisan show of support for the RIIC program and the Computer Aid, Inc. contract renewal, the county commissioners requested to be added to the resolution as co-sponsors. Later in the meeting they unanimously approved the renewal.

The resolution’s approval is for a non-bid professional service agreement over $25,000.