Visclosky to Request Funding for Purdue Technology Center, Crimefighting Tools
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Pete Visclosky today will request $2.7 million for three Northwest Indiana projects from the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies.
The requests will include $2 million to assist in the development of the Purdue Technology Center of Northwest Indiana, as well as two Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants. Visclosky requested $600,000 for the Porter County Sheriff’s Department and $100,000 for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department for technology upgrades. Visclosky will testify at 3:45 p.m. (2:45 Central).
Visclosky is working in conjunction with Purdue University to build the technology center on land owned in Merrillville by the Purdue Research Foundation. The proposed center would attract and develop high-tech businesses, providing opportunities for tech-savvy residents to find good-paying jobs in Northwest Indiana. It would also diversify the region’s economic base.
Visclosky also asked for an additional $2 million for the Purdue Technology Center this morning in his testimony before the Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies. Both subcommittees are part of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. Today’s requests on the center will total $4 million.
The Congressman announced on January 10, 2002, that he had secured $1.4 million for the center. He pledged at that time to secure a total of $6 million for infrastructure and construction costs, as well as another $1 million over four years for operating costs during the center’s start-up phase, for a grand total of $7 million. The planned incubator will be similar to one located on Purdue’s main campus in West Lafayette. Information about that incubator can be found on the Internet at https://www.adpc.purdue.edu/PRF/pages/hi_tech/index.html.
The requested $600,000 COPS grant for the Porter County Sheriff’s Department is for the installation of a Tiburon integrated public safety computer system. This would replace an existing dispatch system bought in 1996 from a company that has since been purchased by Tiburon Incorporated. As a result of the sale, the current system can no longer be upgraded to meet the department’s needs.
The $100,000 Visclosky requested for the Lake County Sheriff’s Department would enhance its Law Enforcement Management System, which enables the department to link with the Indiana Data and Communication System and to interface with the National Crime Information Center.
TESTIMONY OF CONGRESSMAN VISCLOSKY
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Serrano, members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I also wish to thank the Subcommittee for its generosity last year when considering my funding priorities.
Last year, the Subcommittee generously included $400,000 in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2002 Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill for the Small Business Administration to assist with the development of the Purdue Regional Technology Center to accommodate research and technology ventures in Northwest Indiana. I am requesting $2 million in FY 2003 for the creation of the center that will enter into partnerships with high-tech industries. Purdue University, the only land-grant school in the state, is interested in assisting the State of Indiana with the creation of high-tech companies and small businesses, as well as with identifying and targeting high-tech agricultural businesses for recruitment, particularly in Northwest Indiana. The Center will support and conduct technology transfer activities with industry, and operate in partnership with the Purdue University Calumet campus with guidance by a board of local business, industry and government officials. Purdue will supply the leadership and technical support to provide the Center with maximum potential for success.
As jobs in traditional manufacturing industries in the State of Indiana continue to be threatened, it is critical that the state and its resources work to attract high-technology businesses and companies. The proximity of this area in the corridor between Chicago and Indianapolis, and its link to the Purdue main and regional campuses, provides an attractive setting for high-tech companies that seek to benefit from Purdue faculty expertise in engineering and technology. The Purdue Technology Center is vital to the residents of Northwest Indiana, and I hope that the Subcommittee advances this project for the future of my constituents.
I remain committed to giving our nation’s police officers the tools they need to do their jobs. I respectfully request that in FY 2003, the Subcommittee direct the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office to award a grant under the COPS Technology Program in the amount of $600,000 to Porter County, Indiana, for installation of the Tiburon integrated public safety computer system. The Porter County Sheriff’s Department depends on an integrated public safety computer system to operate their police and emergency services, which include Computer Automated Dispatch, Message Switching, and other automated applications. An older system, CLUES, has been in place since 1996 and was to continue serving operations in Porter County. However, two years ago Tiburon Incorporated purchased the CLUES Company and recently announced it would no longer support the old system. Tiburon allowed free software licensing to agencies using CLUES to switch over to the Tiburon system. In addition, the Tiburon system allows for preexisting data to be preserved. This is a must to better protect the residents of Porter County.
In addition, I am requesting that in FY 2003, the Subcommittee direct the COPS office to award a $100,000 grant under the COPS Technology Program to Lake County, Indiana, to enhance their Law Enforcement Management System. This enhancement would provide the Lake County Sheriff’s Department with the ability to link with the Indiana Data and Communication System and to interface with the National Crime Information Center. This upgraded network would provide police officers with information regarding registrations, warrants and criminal records from other criminal justice agencies and police departments about other crime statistics and information. This information assists police in criminal justice and related law enforcement objectives, such as apprehending fugitives, locating missing persons, locating and returning stolen property, as well as protecting law enforcement officers encountering the individuals described in the system.
Furthermore, law enforcement agencies in Indiana currently operate on several different radio frequencies. As a result, they find it extremely difficult to communicate with other police, fire, and emergency departments. In fact, a police officer in one jurisdiction in pursuit of a felon into a second jurisdiction must currently switch to another radio channel to communicate with the officers in the new jurisdiction. However, he or she can no longer talk to the members of his or her own department unless the officer in pursuit switches back to the original channel.
As you can see, this state of affairs causes serious difficulty in coordinating responses to emergency situations among various departments and, consequently, severely impairs the ability of police officers to fight crime. Fortunately, there is a clear solution, Project Hoosier SAFE-T. In FY 2002, this Subcommittee provided $3 million to continue construction of the infrastructure for a statewide mobile voice and data communication system. This system will benefit public safety by allowing emergency medical services, fire officials, and police officers to communicate with one another effectively. The cost of the infrastructure for this initiative is estimated at $66 million. This cost does not include the data system or user equipment, such as radios, laptops, or dispatch consoles. These infrastructure improvements will be coupled with a Demonstration Grant Initiative to show the need for such improvements. These demonstration grants will provide localities with upgrades for their communication systems. Therefore, I respectfully request $5 million for the continued support of Project Hoosier SAFE-T in FY 2003.
Finally, I would like to ask for the Subcommittee’s continued support of the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program. This program was initiated by Congressman LoBiondo and myself, cosponsored by 305 Members of the House, and signed into law on June 16, 1998. Because this original authorization expired after three years, in 2000 Congress passed, and the President signed into law, a reauthorization for this program. The authorization provides $50 million annually for three years through 2004 for the purchase of vests, and made stab-proof vests eligible for the program. The purpose of the program is to save the lives of law enforcement officers by helping state and local governments equip their law enforcement officers with bulletproof vests. The law authorized the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), to administer the funds directly to state and local governments. Partner governments must show their own commitment to improving the safety of their law enforcement officers by providing at least 50 percent of the cost of each vest purchased under this program.
BJA has streamlined an innovative process by which eligible governments may apply for grants under this program. The entire application and payment process for the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program occurs electronically via the program’s web site. This process is intended to ensure that grants are provided for vests in the most customer-friendly and expedient manner. The program has been a tremendous success, and I respectfully request that the Subcommittee continue to support the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program.
I thank you for your consideration of my funding priorities.