Waukesha City board approves two‑year, grant‑funded agreement to adopt Peregrine information‑sharing platform

Chief Thompson described Peregrine as “like the Epic for law enforcement,” telling the Waukesha City IT Board the cloud‑based platform will let agencies across the region share operational information and “provide a decision‑making advantage” to officers in the field.

The board approved an agreement to join Peregrine after staff explained the implementation plan and funding. Thompson said the city expects a two‑year state grant to fund implementation; he told the board the governor is expected to sign the grant in January and funding could arrive in February, enabling an April start and two years of grant‑funded operation. After the grant period, presenters estimated Peregrine maintenance at about $75,500 per year.

IT staff and public safety leaders said Peregrine will integrate with existing CAD/RMS systems (examples discussed included Phoenix and the new Central Square CAD/RMS) and surface consolidated dashboards, booking photos and investigation notes from participating agencies. Thompson said the platform will allow officers to see notes or investigative flags from other jurisdictions in near‑real time to “deconflict” operations and better coordinate responses; presenters emphasized that Peregrine is “pull‑only” and will not push records back into a local RMS without permissions.

Board members asked practical questions about mobile access, body‑worn camera and audio links, and whether the system will reduce in‑car computer time. Presenters said officers would use a Toughbook‑style mobile unit to access the web‑based Peregrine interface and, where permissioned, could view body‑worn camera files and booking photos through links the system surfaces. Chief Thompson said he expects the platform and the new RMS to reduce report‑writing time and allow officers to spend less time on a keyboard, which he framed as an officer‑safety gain.

A board member moved to approve the Peregrine agreement and the motion was seconded; the board approved the contract unanimously on roll call. Members voting “yes” during roll call identified themselves as Bob, Sean, Dan and Steve. The board did not finalize post‑grant funding arrangements during the meeting, and presenters said staff will pursue statewide funding options and evaluate cost‑sharing to reduce long‑term per‑agency costs.

The agreement approved tonight allows Waukesha City to join the regional Peregrine network and begin implementation under the two‑year grant; staff will report progress and pilot integration milestones to the board as they become available.