ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

History
In 1992, I inherited a District Attorney’s office that relied on a data management system initially built and maintained by an assistant district attorney. In the mid 90’s, this system was strengthened by an $80,000 grant of hardware and software. However, as the demands on the system increased due to a growing office, it became evident that our data management needs required a new solution.

In 2004, the county’s Information Technology Department (IT) agreed to develop a more technologically sound system to maintain, store, and access our data. In January 2005, IT had implemented this system and assumed responsibility for its maintenance.


Integrated Justice Solutions
In order to address the needs of the county’s overall criminal justice data management, a Judicial Steering Team was formed to identify problems impeding the collection, storing, sharing, and retrieval of information among the "justice partners" in Fort Bend County courts. As part of the solution, the county is in the midst of converting to a state of the art data management system. As a member of that team, I have endorsed this new system and dedicated resources to implement it in my office and our county. As a step towards a “paperless” office, this will result in a more efficient use of my employees’ time, as well as quicker service to our citizens.


Technology in the Courtroom
My investigative division also contributes to technological advances. Receiving audio and video evidence from local law enforcement in many different formats, my office routinely translates these recordings into something usable in the courtroom. And with increasingly advanced equipment in the courtroom, their knowledge and ability to build presentations makes them a valuable asset to the prosecution team.


Records Management
Having a duty to be fiscally conservative, my office is currently working to image disposed files in an electronic format. The result of reducing storage costs and increasing access to these records makes for a more efficient, and less costly, office.


Case Filing
A long-term solution is already being researched and developed through our integrated justice solution. The technology focuses on the possibility of law enforcement submitting their cases electronically to my office. Security is a critical part of this process, and my office is thoroughly researching the best methods to achieve this result in a safe and reliable manner. I anticipate initiating a short-term solution in the near future.


Technology is a fast-paced business where many different programs and vendors collide. It is my duty to explore the best options available not only for now, but for the future. It would be irresponsible to jump quickly into one technology only to find it is incompatible with other agencies working towards the same goal. It is not simply picking “out of the box” software, but a careful and thorough contribution to develop the technology this office needs to best serve our community.