Chris Kelly

Palo Alto, CA — Today, Democratic Attorney General candidate Chris Kelly was featured on Huffington Post discussing the important role innovation can play in preventing and reducing violent crime for the state of California. As the next Attorney General for the state of California, Kelly describes how he will provide law enforcement with the latest crime-fighting and crime-solving technology.

Kelly’s new plan, Innovation First: Using Technology to Fight Crime calls for: 1) Enhanced forensics technology for complex crime scene investigation and analysis; 2) A standardized crime mapping system across California to help local law enforcement agencies form strategic partnerships, including building cross jurisdictional and regional crime analysis information-sharing systems; 3) Implementation of a Global Positioning System (GPS) Monitoring System to improve supervision of high-risk parolees; 4) Aggressive prevention and punitive actions toward crimes related to consumer fraud, identity theft, and online sexual predators; and 5) Updated computer systems that accurately track criminal activity, collect crime data, and improve legal services while saving taxpayers millions of dollars for Californians.

“From my time as Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook, working with Attorneys General from across the country, I understand how critical it is that the California Attorney General, Department of Justice, and law enforcement have the most cutting edge technology available to them. As the next Attorney General, I will be able to quickly implement and utilize new technology and innovative solutions that will reduce crime and make California safer,” said Kelly.

As stated in the Huffington Post, Kelly insists that “for too long the state of California has thrown more taxpayer money at substandard ‘public safety’ systems that don’t cut it. Violent crime is on the rise and police patrolling our cities streets are dying. Rehabilitation programs intended to re-engage offenders are carelessly monitored and haphazardly organized. This is costing time, money and resources that the state of California can't afford to expend.”

“Crime, coupled with misused resources to fight crime, not only costs lives but also precious resources and money at a time when California is in dire need of economic strength and stability. My innovative plan provides both increased economic stability and public safety,” said Kelly.

Palo Alto, CA- Today, California Attorney General candidate Chris Kelly launched his new innovative crime fighting technology plan, Innovation First: Using Technology to Fight Crime. This plan is a call to action. It will serve as a blueprint for the Attorney General's office to combat the fiscal, legal, and public safety challenges that Californians deal with on a daily basis.

"In today's fast-paced environment, California deserves better than ineffective policies that are out of touch with ever-changing technology and fail to keep our communities safe. As the next Attorney General of California, I will apply an innovative, fresh, and tech-savvy approach to fighting crime and protecting the citizens of California," said Kelly.

Under the plan, Innovation First: Using Technology to Fight Crime, Kelly will provide law enforcement with the latest crime-fighting and crime-solving technology that reduce crime, keep violent offenders off our streets, protect our children, and provide local law enforcement with the resources they need to fight crime. Kelly's five-point plan includes several priorities that will guarantee a decrease in crime and increase in public safety for all California residents:

Improve Use of Advanced Forensic Technology to Solve Crime

As Attorney General, one of Kelly's first priorities is to make certain that California's forensic technology is on the cutting-edge and that our regional crime labs and local law enforcement have the necessary tools to deal with complex crime scene investigation and analysis. He will also review training techniques from the California Criminalistics Institute to ensure that essential forensics training programs are made available to the appropriate California law enforcement agencies. Kelly will also work towards improving efficiency of our DNA analysis and hold laboratories accountable for performance measures.

Standardization of Criminal Mapping Systems across California

Second, Kelly will create a standardized crime mapping system across the state of California so local enforcement agencies can work together more effectively and efficiently. This will allow law enforcement agencies to accurately evaluate crime data and better respond to criminal acts in real-time. Additionally, Kelly will work with law enforcement in all 58 counties to form strategic partnerships, including building cross jurisdictional and regional crime analysis information sharing systems. Kelly will conduct an assessment and overhaul of all essential technology upgrades that are necessary for police and sheriffs to effectively combat crime. This will include upgrading databases and outdated computer systems with technologically advanced systems and mapping technologies that highlight criminal hotspots for officers to target.

Develop and Implement Effective Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Designed to Improve Parolee Supervision

Third, Kelly will develop and implement an effective Global Positioning Monitoring System (GPS) that would increase and improve supervision and monitoring of parolees. In the past, the transformation from prisoner to parolee has failed to keep Californians safe. One recent case in particular is that of Jaycee Dugard. The California Inspector General's November 2009 report into the kidnapping, hostage holding and sexual assaults on Jaycee Dugard revealed the systematic failure of California's parole and probation system. As Attorney General, Kelly will develop and implement an effective Global Positioning System (GPS) monitoring policy, set training and performance standards for all parole agents and increase accountability for California's parole and probation enforcement supervisors.

Protect Citizens from Identity Fraud and Identify Theft and Online Predators

Fourth, as Attorney General Kelly will work with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to prevent high-tech Internet fraud and identity theft. Internet fraud and identity theft are becoming increasingly prevalent in our state. Californians need advanced computer privacy technology and innovative law enforcement to ensure our online safety. Internet fraud and identity theft costs California taxpayers millions of dollars. With the proper allocation of innovative and smart resources, these types of crime can be avoided.

As Chief Privacy Officer of Facebook, Kelly led efforts to build privacy controls that give users control over their personal information on the Internet, creating a critical first line of defense against identity theft. As your Attorney General, he will continue to work towards improving public awareness about preventing identity theft and prosecute those who break the law.

Furthermore, Kelly has first-hand experience working with Attorneys General around the country to promote a trusted and safe online experience. Most recently, in New York State, working with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, he helped craft the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act (E-Stop). Under this law, sex offenders who previously had used the internet to commit a crime or who are determined to be a high-risk threat would have their online usage restricted by the state's parole board, including making it a violation to use unregistered e-mail addresses. This is the first step in updating Megan's law for the digital age.

Fix Outdated Computer Systems, Saving California Taxpayers Millions of Dollars

Finally, California's justice system must have up-to-date, efficient computer systems. Tracking criminal activity and maintaining accurate data will improve legal services for Californians while also saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Given our state's budget crisis, improving computer-based systems is something our state cannot afford to ignore.

"It is time for the state of California to move in a new direction, to take a new path. Crime, coupled with misused resources to fight crime, not only costs lives but also precious resources and money at a time when California is in dire need of economic strength and stability. My innovative plan provides both increased economic stability and public safety," said Kelly.

To learn more about Chris Kelly's candidacy, please visit www.kelly2010.com or at www.facebook.com/chriskelly.

Palo Alto, CA- California Democratic Attorney General candidate and former Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Chris Kelly praised today's announcement by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that more than 3,500 New York state sex offenders have been purged from social networking sites MySpace and Facebook.

Kelly worked extensively with Attorney General Cuomo in developing and passing the Electronic Securing and Targeting of Online Predators Act (“E-STOP”), which created the sex offender registry enhancements that allowed for this proactive purge and in promoting similar new developments for the national sex offender registry under Federal law.

"I am proud to have worked hand-in-hand with Attorney General Cuomo and Attorneys General from across the United States to help make the Internet a safer place through pioneering legislation like E-STOP and the strategic deployment of technology to support law enforcement," said Kelly.

"California should be enhancing its sex offender registry with electronic identifiers, which is now required under the Federal KIDS Act that I also actively supported.

As the next Attorney General of California, I look forward to building upon my longstanding record of technology innovation, and will continue to protect children from dangerous online predators.”

Under E-STOP, the nation’s most comprehensive law designed to enhance protections from sexual predators on the Internet, many sexual predators are banned outright from using social networking sites on the Internet while on probation or parole. Additionally, convicted sex offenders must register all of their email addresses, screen names and other Internet identifiers with the state for the purpose of blocking sex offenders from using the sites. Since E-STOP was enacted in 2008, more than 8,100 sex offenders have submitted their Internet identifiers to New York’s Sex Offender Registry.

For the past several years, led by Kelly, Facebook has been leading the charge to develop enhanced safety technology and controls in order to create a safer and more trusted online experience for users.

"Innovation designed to protect children and adults alike has been the hallmark of my time at Facebook, contributing to a safer Internet experience for more than 300 million users around the world. As California's next Attorney General, I will bring that record of innovation, forward thinking, and positive change to California," said Kelly.