The city of New Orleans, LA will be updating the antiquated IT systems used by its courts and public safety agencies, using $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Mission Critical Partners was the vendor selected to implement the upgrade, called the Justice Tech Modernization Program. The new system is expected to be installed by mid-2025.
“After fighting tirelessly for a direct allocation of ARPA dollars, we heard directly from residents that they wanted part of this funding to go towards supporting and improving public safety, and this partnership with MCP is a perfect example,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said. “The ability to quickly obtain and disseminate information is a crucial tool for fighting crime, and recent advancements in technology have enabled multiple law enforcement agencies to accomplish this effectively. It is critical that we equip the New Orleans Police Department with every tool in the toolbox.”
The city’s current IT system dates back to the 1980s and 1990s. The program’s goal is to replace the decades-old computer systems with advanced, cloud-based technology, which would allow the different branches of the city’s criminal justice system to share data and information. The new system is expected to: reduce the time police officers spend filing jail paperwork, searching for records and waiting to testify in court; provide sheriff deputies with real-time information on status changes and required court appearances for individuals in their custody; enable legal cases to proceeding faster with fewer mistakes; and have fewer court hearings being rescheduled.
“This is going to cost a lot of money, but it’s going to solve a lot of problems at once for the criminal legal system.” Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams said. ”People talk about what can be done to make the criminal legal system work better. This is a way of making agencies of the criminal legal system to be able to communicate effortlessly, in a way that they simply aren’t able to do today.”