| For Immediate Release | For more information contact: |
| January 4, 2000 | Jon Peterson (651-296-5989) |
COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING
ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
(ST. PAUL) The Minnesota House Crime Prevention Committee will hold a public hearing this week on improving the state's criminal justice information system. The hearing will take place on Thursday, January 6 at 9:00 AM in Room 200 of the State Office Building in St. Paul.
Currently, the state has about 1,100 different agencies and departments that access criminal records. Because most of their computer systems were developed independently, most of the systems are incompatible with each other and little information is shared between departments on criminals.
Crime Prevention Committee Chairman Rich Stanek (R-Maple Grove), a 16-year police veteran who has been working on information systems for several years, said that the House of Representatives is taking the lead in holding hearings on this topic in order to raise public attention to the problem and work toward a bipartisan solution.
"Good information is the foundation of any effective criminal justice system," he said. "Criminal justice professionals like police officers and judges need timely, accurate information in order to make the best decisions to improve public safety."
Last session Rep. Stanek was the chief author of legislation which encouraged local units of government to develop integrated criminal justice information plans. The bill provided $1 million in matching funds for counties across Minnesota.
For more information on the hearing, please contact House Crime Prevention Committee Administrator Amy Roberts at 651- 296-5533.
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