Chairman Patterson, members of the Committee and distinguished guests - I appreciate the opportunity to represent Chief Ramsey and the Metropolitan Police Department at today’s hearing.

Earlier this year, Chief Ramsey assigned me responsibility for overseeing Y2K contingency planning for the Police Department. As part of that responsibility, I am working closely with our Information Technology and Corporate Communications staffs on issues related to the readiness of our computer systems and to public Outreach and awareness. Members of these MPD units are with me today to answer any questions you may have about these aspects of our Y2K preparations.

As Chief Ramsey reported to you last June, the so-called "Millennium Bug" presents some unique challenges for the Metropolitan Police Department.

• First, like any other large organization, we must find and fix potential problems in our own information systems - in particular, critical systems such as 9-1-1. And we must develop backup plans just in case those systems fail.
  
  
• At the same time, we have the added responsibility of providing essential police services should other critical systems outside our immediate control suffer Y2K failures of their own. And here, I am speaking about telephones, electricity, traffic signals and other utilities.
  
  
• Finally, we must help ensure that the public - including both residents and visitors - can celebrate the new millennium safely on both the national mall and in District neighborhoods. And we must protect against criminals who might use the date change as an excuse to commit acts of looting, vandalism or other civil unrest.

Planning in all of these areas has been - and continues to be - an enormous undertaking. But I am pleased to report that - less than 45 days away from the new millennium - the Metropolitan Police Department is in good shape with respect to Y2K readiness and public safety. This morning, I want to provide you with a brief progress report on our computer remediation and operational contingency plans, as well as an overview of our efforts to educate the public on safety issues related to Y2K.

With respect to our own information systems, we have nearly completed the remediation and testing on all of our critical systems, and I am confident they will all be operational for Y2K.

A major focus has been on our 9-1-1 and non-emergency communications systems. Barring any unexpected problems with telephone service in general, people in the District of Columbia should be able to call 9-1-1, or our non-emergency number, to request police services on and after January 1, 2000.

We have been working with Bell Atlantic to ensure that our call-answering capabilities are Y2K-ready. In addition, we are in the process of installing and testing a new, Y2K-compliant computer-aided dispatch system, which should be operational by mid-December. As a backup, we are also upgrading our existing CAD system to make it Y2K-compliant. That way, we will have both systems - the new, state-of-the-art CAD, as well as the upgrade to our current system - available for use during the date change.

We are also developing backup plans for handling 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls in case there are failures at our main communications center on the 6th floor of 300 Indiana Avenue. Come December 31st, we will be able - on a moment’s notice - to divert calls to alternative sites at MacMillan Drive and the Reeves Center.

Again, we are very confident that on the date change, we will be able to receive 9-1-1 and non-emergency calls, and be able to dispatch the appropriate police resources. We are also confident that our other critical information systems will be ready. Outside of a few final tests that need to be run, remediation of these systems has been completed.

The CJIS and WALES systems - our Criminal justice Information System and Washington Area Law Enforcement System - have been migrated to a new, Y2K-compliant mainframe computer, and are undergoing final testing. These two systems maintain arrest and criminal history data, and provide officers with access to motor vehicle and permit files, as well as information about wanted and missing persons, firearms and other important areas.

Even though we are confident that these systems will be operational on January 1, as a backup we will print out copies of the existing databases immediately prior to the date change, so that the files can be searched manually in case the computer records are unavailable for whatever reason.

Our other critical information systems, which Chief Ramsey reported on in June, have also been remediated and tested, and we are confident they will be operational on January 1, 2000. These include the LiveScan fingerprinting system; our intelligence, property, time and attendance systems; and MPD-Net, which controls all networking within the Department.

So In the area of information technology, I believe our key systems are in good shape. We are also in good shape with the Y2K-readiness of our critical non-IT systems, including radio communications, fleet, prisoner processing and facilities. For example, we have been working closely with the Department of Public Works to ensure the readiness of the backup generators, boilers, heating systems, and elevators for all of our buildings.

Like other District agencies, we got off to a slow start in getting our technology ready for the year 2000. But we have made tremendous progress, in a very short period of time, to ensure that our critical systems will be operational.

We have also made tremendous progress in our operational, public safety planning for the date change. As you well know, public safety depends on telephones, electricity and other critical services that are beyond our immediate control. But even if there are problems with these other service providers, the Metropolitan Police Department will be ready and able to provide essential police services to residents and visitors in the District of Columbia.

Our operational contingency plan has three main parts: mobilization of personnel, establishment of emergency service sites, and critical intersection control. I want to go over each of them briefly.

The full mobilization of MPDC personnel will begin on the morning of December 31st. Unless previously approved, we have restricted leave and other days off for all sworn and essential civilian staff. They will work the holiday weekend, with 12-hour shifts beginning December 31st.

This will allow us to have sufficient numbers of officers on the street to handle a wide range of contingencies - and our officers will be supported by a full complement of civilian support personnel. Specially trained civil defense units will also be available throughout the District to respond to any major incidents that may require their intervention.

This mobilization will remain in effect for as long as the additional personnel are needed to address any problems related not just to Y2K, but also to the weather or to a combination of the two. While we do not anticipate the mobilization lasting much beyond January 1st, we stand ready to keep it in effect for as long as needed.

The second key component of our operational plan is the establishment of emergency service sites throughout the District.

Should people be unable to call the police because of telephone or electricity failures, our Department will have in place more than 125 Emergency Service Sites - including all fire stations, as well as community centers, local businesses and other locations. There will be at least one ESS in each of our 83 police service areas. Some PSAs will have more than one site.

People will be able to go to their nearest ESS to report a crime or to request any other type of public safety assistance. Each ESS will be staffed around the clock by sworn officers and, in some cases, reserve and/or recruit officers. The locations of all Emergency Service Sites are posted on the Department’s Web site, and each location will be identified with easily recognizable signs.

The third major element of our plan involves traffic safety and control. We must plan not only for the heavy traffic that is expected from people coming to the District to celebrate the new millennium. We are also preparing for any potential problems with traffic signals.

Our Department has identified close to 150 critical intersections . Personnel will be assigned to these intersections to help regulate the flow of traffic and to handle any emergencies that may arise, including problems with traffic signals. These personnel will also provide another point of contact for the community in case residents are unable to reach the police by telephone.

Finally, our operational plan includes the deployment of personnel to help ensure the safety of the millennium celebrations - both on the national mall and in our neighborhoods.

In addition to deploying additional personnel during the date change, we are working closely with other law enforcement agencies involved in overseeing millennium events: the U.S. Park Police, Capitol Police, the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service, METRO Police and others. All of our agencies are working together to help ensure the safety of participants during the celebration events themselves and as people travel to and from their homes.

I believe our operational contingency plan is both sound and comprehensive. And while I have covered just the highlights of the plan this morning, I will be happy to provide any more detail you may need during the question-and-answer period.

The last area I want to cover this morning is public awareness and information. With something as critical as public safety and Y2K, we recognize it is essential for the public be kept informed.

That is why our Department has just published this booklet - Y2K, Public Safety and You . It covers much of the information I presented to you this morning, including computer remediation and contingency plans for providing police service in case of problems with critical services.

This booklet also describes some steps that our residents and communities can take to prepare for Y2k. For example, the booklet covers when people should - and should not - call 9-1-1 during the date change. And it reminds residents not to call 9-1-1 just to see if the system is working.

In addition, the booklet describes some common Y2K-related scams , and offers tips on how people can avoid becoming victims. It also includes important telephone numbers and Web sites for additional information.

The contents of this booklet have been posted on the Police Department’s Web site - www.mpdc.org. Also on our Web site are the locations of all emergency service sites and the critical intersections that will be monitored on the date change. If these locations change between now and December 31st, we will be able to update the information quickly and easily on the Web.

Copies of the booklet are being made available to all seven police districts for distribution at PSA meetings and other community events over the next six weeks. Our Department is also participating with the D.C. Emergency Management Agency in its series of community meetings on Y2K readiness.

As we get closer to Y2K, we also will step up our media relations and community outreach efforts around the issue of Y2K and public safety. And we will have sufficient public information staff on duty during the date change to update the media and the public on any critical safety information.

Thank you again for the opportunity to update you on the Metropolitan Police Department’s preparations for Y2K. Our Department is committed to providing quality police service and ensuring the public’s safety during this unique and uncertain time in our city’s history. The task at hand is difficult and complex. But we are very confident in our ability to do the job.