AIKEN --- An advanced information-sharing network linking seven police agencies in five counties in South Carolina and Georgia is in use.

The $1.4 million database, called COPLINK, was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and allows agencies to share information to help solve crimes.

"Investigators and communities will reap the benefits," said Capt. Steve Morris, of the Columbia County Sheriff's Office. "With one keystroke, authorities can share information they might not normally have access to, and victims will have quicker resolution."

Agencies have been waiting for the database to go online since April 2007, when the seven law enforcement agencies announced the network's formation.

"It's the sharing of information from across the border that will help more than anything, because now we'll have access to Richmond County, Columbia County and Burke County's information," said Capt. Wendell Hall, of Aiken Public Safety. "And with us being so close to the border we get repeat offenders, and they get some of ours."

Capt. Hall said criminals committing crimes in more than one jurisdiction won't be able to elude police for an extended period by crossing state or county lines.

Capt. Morris said that although investigators in other jurisdictions are often in communication with each other on a day-to-day basis, they don't have instant access to each other's information.

The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is the centralized location for the network.

The system was not fully operational in Columbia County as of Wednesday, but the department was able to use the network for database searches, only being prohibited from downloading data.

"We have not downloaded our data, and that's due to our computer system," Capt. Morris said, adding that the sheriff's office can search the database. "We expect to be fully operational in the very near future."

Other agencies joining the database -- Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Aiken Department of Public Safety, Richmond County Sheriff's Office, Burke County Sheriff's Office, Edgefield County Sheriff's Office and North Augusta Department of Public Safety -- have been able to fully use the system since it went into operation last week.

The database will cost each agency $5,000 annually to maintain.