FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        November 8, 1999
NEWS FROM: NHP Records and Identification Services Bureau   99-178

Nevadan Appointed to National Criminal Records Council

Justice Department Recognizes Expertise and Improvements in the Silver State

U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno has announced the appointment of Dennis DeBacco to the newly-created National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council. He will serve a two-year term which began October 1^st. DeBacco is the System Administrator of the Nevada Criminal Justice Information System.

The Compact, just recently passed by Congress, will allow states which adopt it to implement sweeping changes in the way criminal history records are exchanged between states and federal authorities. It will also enable the national exchange of records for purposes such as occupational licensing and employment screening.

DeBacco is an expert in the field of criminal history records exchange. He is Nevada's representative to the FBI's Criminal Justice Information System, the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System and SEARCH, a national consortium for criminal justice information and statistics. He served 11 years with the FBI including several years as a training instructor at the National Crime Information Center.

DeBacco has headed a complete overhaul of the Nevada Criminal Justice Information System in recent years. Nevadans and local law enforcement have already seen the benefits, which include the Nevada Sex Offender Registry and the Dangerous Offender Notification System. Larger Nevada jails now submit fingerprints and suspect photos electronically. Future improvements will include instant access to photos, information on Domestic Violence Protective Orders and data on Missing Persons.

For more information, contact Dennis DeBacco at (775) 687-1600 extension 268.