The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Senate section on pages S1454 on March 20, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS
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THE VERMONT INTERNET CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN TASK FORCE OFFICE
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I congratulate the dedicated Vermonters responsible for the grand opening of the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force's new office in downtown Burlington. This new office should build on the success of the Vermont ICAC Task Force to coordinate between local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies from around the region in their efforts to combat the emerging problem of computer crime.
Unfortunately, far too many State and local law enforcement agencies cannot afford the cost of policing against computer crimes themselves. In Vermont, there are few law enforcement officers among the more than 900 serving in our state who have training in investigating computer crimes and analyzing the evidence. Without the necessary educational training, technical support, and coordinated information, our law enforcement officials will be hamstrung in their efforts to crack down on computer crimes against children.
But the Vermont ICAC Task Force is helping our law enforcement officers meet this new challenge in the information age. Through the collaborative training and public education programs of the ICAC Task Force, Vermont law enforcement officials are able to use the resources of the Department of Justice and the Vermont community to fight cyber-
criminals.
I have introduced Federal legislation, the Computer Crime Enforcement Act, S. 1314, to provide the Vermont ICAC Task Force and other Vermont law enforcement agencies with additional resources. My legislation would authorize a $25 million Department of Justice grant program to help states prevent and prosecute computer crime. Grants under my bill may be used to provide education, training, and enforcement programs for state and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors in the rapidly growing field of computer criminal justice.
It is hard for our law enforcement community to keep up with criminals in the computer age. Lawbreakers have integrated highly technical methods with traditional crimes and developed creative new types of crime. They use computers to cross State and national boundaries electronically, creating jurisdictional problems. They also use sophisticated equipment that makes them difficult to trace.
But we Vermonters can prevent, capture and prosecute cyber-criminals by following the model set by the Vermont ICAC Task Force. The Vermont ICAC Task Force has done, and will continue to do, great work to protect Vermont's children from Internet crimes in its new home.
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