Former Escondido Police Chief Steps in as Temporary ARJIS Leader
San Diego CA— Former Escondido Police Chief Craig Carter has been named the Interim Director of the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS).
Carter will attend his first SANDAG Public Safety Committee meeting as the interim ARJIS leader on Friday. Friday will also be the first virtual meeting of the Public Safety Committee; people interested in attending should register at sandag.org/PSCMay15Mtg .
The ARJIS Director position became vacant in January when long-time director Pam Scanlon passed away; Scanlon led the ARJIS team for more than 20 years.
ARJIS was created to share information among justice agencies throughout San Diego and Imperial counties. ARJIS has evolved into a complex criminal justice enterprise network used by more than 60 local, state, and federal agencies in the two California counties – Imperial and San Diego — that border Mexico. The ARJIS governance structure promotes data sharing and cooperation at all levels for member agencies, from chiefs to officers to technical staff.
Carter has extensive experience leading and managing the region’s law enforcement community. In addition to his six years as Escondido Police Chief, and a total of 28 years of service with the Escondido Police Department, Carter has deep familiarity with the ARJIS program having served on the SANDAG Public Safety Committee as an associate member between 2013 and 2019.
As Escondido Police Chief, Carter oversaw more than 300 employees and a $46 million annual budget to protect and serve the more than 140,000 city residents and visitors.
In his new role at SANDAG, Carter will oversee ARJIS and lead major public safety initiatives including a robust mobile program that provides public safety personnel with access to critically needed data in the field, including warrants and photos; crime and sex offender mapping; crime analysis and statistical reporting; and an enterprise system of applications that help users solve crimes and identify offenders.
Carter earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Bellevue University, and his Master of Science Degree in Law Enforcement Public Safety Leadership from University of San Diego.
Carter has agreed to hold the interim director position for one year while SANDAG initiates a recruitment to fill the position permanently.
About ARJIS
Established in December 1980, the Automated Regional Justice Information System (ARJIS) was created as a Joint Powers Agency (JPA) to share information among justice agencies throughout San Diego and Imperial counties. Over the last 40 years, ARJIS has evolved into a complex criminal justice enterprise network used by more than 60 local, state, and federal agencies in the two California counties that border Mexico. The ARJIS governance structure promotes data sharing and cooperation at all levels for member agencies, from chiefs to officers to technical staff.
In 2004, ARJIS was consolidated with SANDAG and the JPA was modified to include the formation of the SANDAG Public Safety Committee (PSC). The PSC advises the SANDAG Board of Directors, and is comprised of elected officials, law enforcement executives, emergency medical services, and homeland security officials. SANDAG is the only place where representatives from all 18 cities and the County of San Diego convene and make coordinated decisions.
About SANDAG
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) is the San Diego region’s primary public planning, transportation, and research agency, providing the public forum for regional policy decisions about growth, transportation planning and construction, environmental management, housing, open space, energy, public safety, and binational topics. SANDAG is governed by a Board of Directors composed of mayors, council members, and supervisors from each of the region’s 18 cities and the county government.
To protect the health and safety of staff, partners, and the general public, SANDAG offices are closed to the public. Our team is working remotely during this time to provide essential services, and to continue progress on critical regional projects. SANDAG will continue to monitor the development of COVID-19 in the region and follow guidance from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
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