Justice Department Wasting Billions On Another Tech Debacle

from the haven't-we-seen-this-before? dept

Tue, Mar 27th 2007 5:54pm — Mike Masnick

Remember the famous FBI computer system? The one that was late, over-budget and was useless at fighting terrorists? The same one that some security experts decided it would be worth beginning a crime spree the day it was launched? The same one that was eventually scrapped entirely despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent? Well, it looks like the Justice Department may have another such system that they're wasting taxpayer money on. The Justice Department has been building a $5 billion (with a b) wireless communication system. However, a new audit says that the system is apparently "at a high risk of failure." Like the FBI's computer system, the system is "not on the path that was envisioned." And now, just like with the computer system, the Justice Department will spend many months examining whether its worth salvaging the system, or just throwing it away. Accountability, apparently, isn't something the Justice Department takes too seriously.

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6 Comments

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dorpus, 27 Mar 2007 @ 6:38pm

Other revenue
The FBI makes billions of dollars on its own, from money recovered from drug dealers. The money given to the FBI by Congress is almost a formality -- it makes plenty of money without it.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Mar 2007 @ 8:14pm

That's what happens when you operate in a megalomanic narcissistic vacuum. Sure seems like a recurring theme amongst government agencies...

Doesn't it?
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Joe Smith, 27 Mar 2007 @ 9:56pm

Blackberry
They should just have gone out and bought off the shelf Blackberries - they would have had immediate functionality, good secuirty and saved money.

When are governments going to realize that at least half of all big computer projects fail?
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dorpus, 27 Mar 2007 @ 10:14pm

Re: Blackberry
You mean the FBI cannot read other people's Blackberry messages whenever they want to?

Maybe failed computer projects are the government's way of fending off criticism about "Big Brother", appearing not to do very well at it. Would we want the FBI to build excellent computer systems, or would Techdirt then be whining about it?
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billy, 28 Mar 2007 @ 5:22am

governments
Nobody ever said that governments had to be efficient.
If they did, then the whole world would be in trouble (as in, all governments, because they aren't)
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Anonymous Coward, 28 Mar 2007 @ 11:19am

Accountability, apparently, isn't something the Justice Department takes too seriously.
Accountability is something any law enforcement organization takes too seriously. They're exempt.
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