At the March 9 Lehigh County Board of Commissioners meeting, Lehigh County District Attorney James Martin made a strong pitch for renewing a contract with Computer Aid Inc., a company that provides support to the Lehigh County Regional Intelligence and Investigation Center.

The company has had the RIIC contract since 2011. The RIIC is a law enforcement resource that serves the Lehigh Valley and is governed by Martin.

“Since that time, they’ve been providing support are doing an outstanding job. We’ve had a very good relationship with them,” Martin said.

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

RIIC 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.

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 that RIIC has become “a truly regional facility for law enforcement use.”

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

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

“I remember some of the flack the district attorney (Martin) received from the board (of commissioners), trying to justify the cost versus outcome,” Brace said. “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 attorneys in both Lehigh and Northampton counties.

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

According to the contract, the company will bill the county as services are provided at an agreed table of rates per hour for specific skill levels 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 for more than $25,000.