| Chapter 1
The
Crime Beat: Crime Computers
By
Dave Krajicek
Law enforcers share information through crime information computers.
Once disparaged as woefully unreliable, these computerized systems
have improved with technological advances. Journalists should be
familiar with them.
The National Crime Information Center is the FBI's computerized
index of criminal justice information, including criminal records
and details about wanted persons, missing persons and certain stolen
property.
Based in Clarksburg, W. Va., the NCIC makes records available via
computer link at all times to federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies. The NCIC maintains records on stolen or wanted vehicles,
license plates, boats and guns, as well as stolen securities, including
cash, bank notes, stocks, bonds and travelers checks. The national
center also maintains records on suspected terrorists and gang members.
Every state has a comparable computerized crime information clearinghouse.
According to the FBI, "The purpose for maintaining the NCIC
system of records is to provide a computerized data base for ready
access by a criminal justice agency making an inquiry and for prompt
disclosure of information in the system from other criminal justice
agencies about crimes and criminals. This information assists authorized
agencies in criminal justice objectives, such as apprehending fugitives,
locating missing persons, locating and returning stolen property,
as well as in the protection of the law enforcement officers encountering
the individuals described in the system."
The information is "for the official use of authorized officials"
of federal,
state and city governments, U.S. possessions and territories, penal
institutions and certain foreign governments. (For example, missing
person information is available to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.)
Members of Congress have access to NCIC information when acting
"at the request of the individual who is the subject of the
record."
The NCIC guidelines state, "Information may be released to
the news media and the public…unless it is determined that
release of the specific information in the context of a particular
case would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy."
For more, visit: http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fbi/is/ncic.htm
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