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Critical Justice Dept. Systems Ready For Y2K

Updated 3:07 AM ET November 5, 1999
By James Vicini

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ninety-nine percent of the Justice Department's "mission-critical" systems have been found ready for the Year 2000 rollover so prison guards, federal agents and the police can do their jobs when the new year arrives, Attorney General Janet Reno said Thursday.

Reno said the Justice Department has spent more than $160 million to make sure that all of its 217 "mission critical" systems would not be disrupted by the Y2K technology glitch.

"So today's message to those who might break the law is simple. We'll be ready," Reno said at a demonstration at the FBI's high-tech center to show that the FBI's criminal records system would work at the start of the new year.

"There will be no interruptions in our law enforcement efforts due to computer malfunctions," she said. "You can rest assured that a prison guard in Oklahoma won't have to worry about cell doors sliding open at the strike of midnight.

"A DEA agent in Miami will have the necessary tools to ensure continued enforcement action against those who abuse or traffic in drugs, an INS agent in Laredo (Texas) won't have to worry about border technology shutting down and a police officer in Chicago will be able to run a criminal history check on a drunk driver who has just been pulled over," she said.

Officials said the Justice Department and independent contractors have verified that its systems were ready for Y2K.

Y2K refers to possible problems for computers unable to distinguish between 2000 and 1900 because they were originally designed to read only the final two digits of the year to determine a date.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Colgate said the only remaining work to be done involved an office automation system in one of the department's litigating divisions and the workstations for overseas personnel.

He said the remaining work would be done next month.

Colgate said the Justice Department also has set up contingency plans to make sure there will be no disruptions if a millennium bug were to affect a particular system.

FBI officials demonstrated that its National Crime Information Center, which provides direct on-line access to nearly 39 million records to police agencies nationwide, will be ready.

The system, which provides background checks on would-be gun buyers, fingerprint matching and mug shots of criminals, performs as many as 2.8 million transactions a day.

The demonstration involved a personal computer, scanner and printer -- standard equipment used by a local police officer to access the system.

Assistant FBI Director David Loesch said most of the states were ready for Y2K. But Colgate acknowledged, "There have been problems at the local level."

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), November 05, 1999

oops!

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), November 05, 1999.

Hallaluya! Does this mean that there astounding record for lack of prosecution in the last 7 years will be reversed toward the trend that other administrations hold? Well, of course not. They are as corrupt as they come, but hey! They're almost compliant.

Goody goody.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), November 05, 1999.

You mean Janet has gotten the tanks and flame-throwers remediated?

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), November 05, 1999.