[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 16718]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO GARY R. COOPER

 Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and 
commend Gary R. Cooper upon his retirement after serving for 20 years 
as Executive Director of SEARCH, the National Consortium for Justice 
Information and Statistics.
  SEARCH is a national organization dedicated to enhancing the use of 
information and identification technology in law enforcement. SEARCH 
provides invaluable no-cost technical assistance, training and support 
to criminal justice agencies all over the country. The organization's 
members are Governors appointees from each State and their common goal 
is to ensure that the criminal justice community has access to services 
that will allow them to use the best technology for communications, 
information sharing, and criminal identification. SEARCH has been a 
tremendous asset to our Nation's law enforcement and this is due in no 
small part to the work of Gary Cooper.
  Under Gary's leadership over the past 20 years, SEARCH has truly 
become a leader in encouraging States to participate in national 
information and identification technology programs. For instance, under 
Gary's leadership, SEARCH made a profound contribution to the States' 
effective participation in the Interstate Identification Index and the 
National Fingerprint File, and the National Crime Information Center 
2000 (NCIC 2000) program.
  Through SEARCH, Gary has also helped to implement policies on the 
national level. While Gary has headed SEARCH, it has made a profound 
contribution to the development and implementation of the National 
Criminal Background Check System. SEARCH also played a pivotal role in 
the development and enactment of the Crime Identification Technology 
Act which today creates the legal and funding platform for the Federal 
/State criminal justice technology partnership. Because of Gary, SEARCH 
was, and is, the primary State voice in support of the successful and 
ongoing national adoption of the Interstate Identification Index and 
Privacy Compact and the development of the Compact Council.
  At every important moment in the past 20-year history of criminal 
justice information and identification technology, Gary Cooper has been 
a courageous leader, an untiring champion and an insightful and 
influential national voice.
  On the occasion of his retirement, I thank Gary R. Cooper for all 
that he has accomplished on behalf of criminal justice in the United 
States.

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