The Chattanooga Police Department will receive $3 million to help buy state-of-the-art computers to allow law enforcement agencies throughout Hamilton County to share information almost instantly, Congressman Zach Wamp announced Monday.

Wamp made the announcement in a joint press conference at the Chattanooga Police Services Center with Chattanooga Mayor Jon Kinsey and Police Chief Jimmie Dotson.

This funding is part of $4 million Congressman Wamp has obtained to help East Tennessee law enforcement fight crime. The other $1 million includes:

• Nine hundred thousand dollars for the Methamphetamine Task Force. This is an addition to $1 million Congressman Wamp obtained last year for the war on meth.
• One hundred thousand dollars for the office of Hamilton County District Attorney General Bill Cox for a video conferencing system. It will enable victims and their families to take part in parole hearings for the criminals who hurt them even when the hearings are held in prisons hundreds of miles away from Chattanooga.

Specifically, initial funds from the $3 million going to the Chattanooga Police Department will be used to buy a Multi-Jurisdictional Records Management System for the proposed County-wide Criminal Justice Network. The equipment will include laptop computers for officers in the field to use in filing reports.

"Crime knows no boundaries and neither should those who fight it," Wamp said. "The money will help the department obtain computers that will allow the sharing of crime data among different police agencies, the court system and jails. When police are trying to catch criminal offenders or prevent crime, time is very often critical. That's why I worked hard to get this money as a member of the House Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice State and the Judiciary."

The funds are contained in the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Conference report which was passed by the House and Senate and is awaiting President Clinton's signature.

Mayor Kinsey said: ?The war on crime is an around-the-clock effort that covers all shifts. Our officers need modern tools to fight crime tirelessly and preserve safe neighborhoods where Chattanoogans can live, work and play--and you can't do that without information that?s quickly accessible and accurate. I told Congressman Wamp that this grant was the most important thing he could deliver for the Chattanooga Police Department. Zach, congratulations on a great accomplishment. As always, it's a pleasure to work with you in such a worthwhile endeavor."

Chief Dotson said: "It's been said that 'knowledge is power'. That's not the case if the information can't be accessed when it is needed. Unavailable information is powerless. The technology this grant will provide will allow our officers to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. We are very grateful to Congressman Wamp for his determined leadership in securing these funds for the Chattanooga Police Department. We have been working in a space-age world, with stone-age technology. This technology will help us provide Chattanooga citizens with the great service they deserve."

The funds obtained by Congressman Wamp will help address critical needs in law enforcement information systems in Hamilton County. "Right now if an officer wants to check many of the details of a defendant's criminal record, the officer must often call various courts where the defendant's cases might have been heard," Wamp explained. "With the new system, the officer can access the suspect's complete current criminal record and check other police jurisdictions electronically.

 "Also officers will be able to use the new equipment to quickly file incident and accidents reports using the laptops. This will make these reports available to the public in a matter of hours instead of days," Wamp said.

"Or a prosecutor in the District Attorney's office can make an almost instantaneous check of a defendant's criminal record in all area local and state courts and jurisdictions. Also, this new system will enable an officer to quickly check an address to learn about previous criminal activity there and to find out who living there might have been charged with crimes and how those cases were resolved," Wamp said. "Knowing if there are criminals, especially violent criminals, at a given site can help officers defend themselves and the public."

"This system can also help prevent jailers from mistakenly releasing defendants who may have outstanding warrants in another jurisdiction," Wamp said. "That's why this system will be such a valuable tool in protecting our citizens and maintaining the rule of law. That's why I was able to make the case to get this badly needed funding for the Chattanooga Police Department and Hamilton County."