Quite a few Outpost readers are fans of the PATROLLED feature of the website, and many of those fans have noticed that the subsection of the feature pertaining to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has been down for a month or so.

That’s because the Sheriff’s Office has been transitioning over to RIMS, the same records-management system that the Arcata Police Department, the Fortuna Police Department and the Fortuna Police Department use. This is good, from a reader’s point of view — RIMS is a much more robust and modern system that updates the public about police calls for service nearly in real-time. (The public-facing part of the operation isn’t quite online yet, though — the Sheriff’s Office says that we can expect that later this year, and the calls for service will be back on the Outpost as soon as it does.)

Sounds like the Sheriff’s Office is pretty happy about the switch too. See them party above, and read their press release below.

From the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office launches new records management and computer aided dispatch system This week the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office launched a new records management and computer aided dispatch system, joining other local agencies to provide Humboldt County citizens with increased transparency and more efficient public safety services.

“Launching RIMS is a great accomplishment for the Sheriff’s Office and is the next step to creating a more informed and involved community,” Sheriff William Honsal said. RIMS Records Management and Computer Aided Dispatch System, developed by Sun Ridge Systems, will allow the Sheriff’s Office to increase efficiency when processing community requests for services. The system also provides more-comprehensive statistical data, allowing deputies to better track and address problematic areas of the county.

Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office joins Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna and Humboldt State University Police Departments in using the RIMS system, making agency coordination and cooperation during a large-scale emergency seamless. “This system will simplify and effortlessly allow our area agencies to work more closely and effectively to ensure the highest level of service to our citizens and community,” Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center Manager Morgan Schlesiger said. “We are very excited and eager to begin our new adventure with RIMS and look forward to all of the benefits and interoperability it will provide.” As part of the new system, the Sheriff’s Office plans to introduce Citizen RIMS later this year, allowing citizens to see calls for service happening real-time, map incidents over a certain period of time, access arrest logs and much more.

To learn more about Citizen RIMS, visit this link.

Sheriff Honsal commends the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office staff who worked for over a year to make this transition possible.