BPD preparing to launch new data-sharing system

April 10, 2025

By David Stone

The Belton Journal

The Belton Police Department is testing a new data-sharing program that will go live by the end of May, according to Deputy Chief Daniel Aguirre.

The program - Niche Centurion - was developed by Deputy Police Chief Allen Teston of the Temple Police Department. It allows local police agencies and the Bell County Sheriff's Office to share arrest records, property and evidence files and much more, according to the Temple Police Chief Shawn Reynolds.

"In addition, the system allows officers to quickly determine if a person is a suspect or is involved in cases around the area," Reynolds said. "Often, an offender is tied to multiple incidents."

Temple PD implemented the new system earlier this year, and Morgan's Point Report PD joined the program last week. Troy, Salado, and Nolanville are expected to implement Niche this month, and all 16 participating law enforcement agencies should be online by August.

Aguirre said Belton PD is currently focusing on going live with Niche.

"We're getting very close to being ready," he said. "We are still working to convert data from our old records management system - we want all of our current records in the new system."

"The most obvious benefit of Niche is that all of the agencies will be using the same system," Aguirre added. "A lot of Bell County law enforcement agencies deal with the same people - it will be great for our investigators to share information with other police departments."

Aguirre said Belton PD's current records management system has far fewer capabilities than Niche.

"(The new system) is very mobile," he added. "We can use it on our computers, our tablets and even our phones to a certain extent. And, it's easier to train new officers on Niche than our current system."

This groundbreaking effort eliminates he previous fragmented and inefficient system, where each agency maintained separate records that did not communicate with each other.

Officers once relied on personal contacts for critical information, leading to delays, gaps in intelligence, and investigative challenges.

With Niche, police officers and detectives around Bell County will have access to real-time, accurate data, allowing them to track criminal activity and interactions more effectively.

The successful implementation of the program requires a massive data conversion effort, massive data conversion effort, system integration, and rigorous validation processes, Aguirre said.