WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Lois Capps announced the approval of $100,000 for San Luis Obispo County’s Criminal Justice System as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science Appropriations (H.R. 3093) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the request of Congresswoman Capps, the bill includes $100,000 in funding for the San Luis Obispo County’s Criminal Justice System to replace its outdated and unreliable Records Management System (RMS) with a more modern and dependable system. This new Records Management System will provide real-time tactical, investigative and management information to department officials, increasing the accuracy and efficiency of investigations and freeing up precious staff time.

“This funding will go a long way towards helping our sheriff and court officials by providing them with all the tools and resources they need to do their jobs” said Capps. “The purchase of this new Records Management System will improve the speed, consistency, and accuracy of shared information throughout the County’s Criminal Justice System and is essential for ensuring the public’s safety.”

“Without this project, one hand will not know what the other is doing,” said Wayne Hall, Court Executive Officer for the Superior Court of California, County of San Luis Obispo. “Technology changes are forcing justice partners to move to individual case management systems that aren’t designed to talk to each other – especially in real time. Many of the needs for information sharing are real-time and safety-sensitive. Sharing information on matters such as protective orders, arrest warrants, conditions of probation, status and disposition of cases, and prisoner custody status is vital to public protection and crime fighting. . Information sharing among justice partners also allows for more informed decision makers, whether it is a judge, officers of the court, or officers in the field. This project is essential to building the bridges needed for justice partner information sharing.”

“While I am very pleased at the funding in this bill, nothing is final until the House and Senate work out differences between their separate versions of the legislation and the bill is signed into law,” noted Capps. “I will continue to work to make sure Central Coast priorities are taken care of in this legislation.”

For example, the bill provides much needed resources for law enforcement programs across the country, providing our local communities with the tools they need to keep our streets safe. The bill increases funding for state and local law enforcement and crime prevention programs, including $400,000 for Central and South Coast law enforcement agencies. It also supports the successful Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program which has helped put 404 cops on the beat from Morro Bay to Oxnard since the program began in 1994. Amazingly, the Bush Administration irresponsibly requested to end the COPS program, despite its contributions to a major drop in crime across our country during the 1990s and the early part of the current decade.

In addition to the President’s efforts to scrap the COPS program, the Bush Administration also tried to eliminate funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance program (SCAAP) which assists state and local governments with the costs of jailing undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes not related to their immigration states. This bill rejects the President’s misguided attempt to pass the buck to local and state government and provides $460 million to help with these burdensome jailing costs, much of which will go to California. These are just two examples of the many ways the Democratic majority worked to reject the short sighted policies of the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans, and ensure that our law enforcement officials had the resources and tools to do their jobs and keep us safe.

In addition to protecting public safety this legislation helps maintain our competitiveness in the global economy by increasing investment in scientific research so we can continue to produce cutting edge developments in science and technology. Of particular importance for our country’s future is the significant investment -- $28 billion -- for science and science education. This funding will aid the National Science Foundation, including money for scholarships to encourage young scientists to become math and science teachers. This investment will help ensure that America continues to produce the next generation of leading scientists and researchers.

Finally, the legislation provides vital support for programs that help protect our marine environment and coastal communities, and tackles one of the greatest challenges of our time – global warming. Specifically this bill provides $1.86 billion for research and development projects to develop strategies for what we can do to address this serious challenge. It also restores the President’s deep cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which oversees science, education, and preservation programs the help protect and preserve our oceans, coastal land and estuaries.

These are just a few of the highlights of this excellent bill that will help move America forward and ensure the safety and security of our streets, our economy, and our environment.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.