Lockheed Martin Wins Computer System Bid

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday granted a $24-million, three-year contract to Lockheed Martin IMS to run the district attorney’s child support computer system.

Lockheed has run the system for years, but this summer, when the Maryland-based company’s most recent contract expired, county auditors found that the district attorney’s office had not properly evaluated, as required by law, whether it was more efficient for county workers to do the job.

Supervisors kept Lockheed on a month-to-month contract while the county treasurer-tax collector’s office analyzed whether it should continue contracting. That agency concluded that, at first glance, it would be more efficient to keep the job in-house but that hidden management and start-up costs made it cheaper to stay with Lockheed.

Supervisors approved the contract without discussion. Incoming Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley said the current deal appears legitimate. Cooley had criticized outgoing Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti during their political campaign for accepting $15,000 in contributions from Lockheed employees before recommending a boost in the company’s last contract.