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ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORTS ON JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S

Issues Warning to Potential Lawbreakers

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General Janet Reno reported that 99 percent of the Justice Department's 217 "Mission Critical" systems were ready for the Year 2000. At a demonstration today of the FBI's National Crime Information Center's (NCIC) 2000 system at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Reno said that over the past two years, the Department has made Year 2000 preparations a priority, allocating more than $165 million to ensure that every Mission Critical system is ready. She pointed out that in May 1997, only 32 percent of the Department's Mission Critical Systems were Y2K compliant and only 54 percent were Y2K compliant in November of 1998.

Reno also issued a warning to potential law-breakers, that the Department is ready to meet the law enforcement challenges of the rapidly approaching Year 2000.

"Law enforcement will be ready come December 31," Reno warned. "Federal agents will have access to the necessary tools to enforce our laws. There will be no interruptions in our law enforcement efforts due to computer malfunctions," she said.

Like other federal agencies, the Department relies heavily on computer-based information systems. Most of the Department's 217 Mission Critical computer systems support internal activities such as word processing, electronic mail, or provide administrative services such as accounting, procurement, travel and personnel.

A number of others provide crucial support to law enforcement agents and offices around the country, including the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) 2000 which provides direct, on-line access to nearly 39 million records to more than 80,000 law enforcement agencies across the country.

"IAFIS," the FBI's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, provides a fully automated fingerprint identification and criminal history on a suspect in minutes.

Others include the Bureau of Prisons, "Sentry" system which is used to process inmates during all phases of incarceration and the INS' "ENFORCE" system, which is an automated case processing system used for alien processing.

Each of the Department's Mission Critical systems are subject to independent verification and validation of its Year 2000 compliance. Contingency plans will be set in place to ensure that even if the Millennium bug were to affect a particular system, there would be no disruption in service to agents, attorneys, or the general public.

Although one percent, or three of the Department's 217 computer systems are awaiting implementation, all three systems have cleared Y2K testing and validation procedures, and are simply awaiting delivery to field offices -- once they have been installed, the Department will be 100 percent compliant.

"Through the cooperative efforts of everyone involved in the Department's Year 2000 compliance program, I believe we will be more than ready to meet future law enforcement challenges," Reno stated.

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