There is a lot on the table in the legislature this year – gun rights, taxes, mental health – but the issue that might top all of them is crime. The Buckhead cityhood effort is largely driven by crime and it was one of the dominant issues in the Atlanta mayor’s race. To that end, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan is taking another step to help address the issue. With the assistance of sponsor Sen. Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, Duncan is supporting the “Criminal Record Responsibility Act.”
The statewide criminal database is notoriously filled with inaccurate and incomplete records, gaps that can create many problems for police and prosecutors. The proposal will aim to streamline and standardize a reliable reporting system and will gather together criminal justice agencies from across the state for their input in developing said system.
“As the nation grapples with rising crime, all facets of the judicial system must be properly equipped to respond immediately and effectively,” said Duncan. “Current reporting data shows unacceptable metrics that pose a major public safety risk for communities. Working with partners across the state, our goal is to establish a framework to solve this issue while also strengthening protections for victims in Georgia.”
As reported by the AJC recently, the Fulton County criminal records system alone has open cases for about 1.5 million charges, nearly 40 percent of all the charges in the database. Almost 19,000 of those are for serious violent felonies. This means prosecutors can’t necessarily know if they are dealing with a repeat offender, judges are not able to take into account repeat offenses when imposing a sentence and employers may not be getting a full background check.
“Solving this ongoing issue is critical to keeping our communities and crime victims safe,” said Gov. Brian Kemp. “When communication breakdowns exist between law enforcement, crime victims, prosecutors, judges, and potential employers, then justice cannot be effectively served. We commend the Lt. Governor, Sen. Hatchett, and others for working to gather input from all stakeholders to improve reporting.”
Some of the gaps are due to clerical error, such as a clerk not entering a conviction into the system or a plea deal not being connected with an original charge. Sometimes a prosecutor may change the charges on an original case but the original charges are not cleared from the system, resulting in two charges or records but only one of which has an outcome. With each story of a repeat offender that is inexplicably out on the streets and commits a violent crime, the records problem is magnified.
“Ensuring access to updated criminal records is a crucial public safety issue not only for members of the judicial system, but for potential employers, housing companies and occupational licensing boards who require a criminal background check,” said Hatchett. “I look forward to working with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and our partners throughout the building.”
