Long before the criminal justice system had DNA testing to use in criminal cases, the federal government set up a database to track information. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a computerized index of information used in the criminal justice process, a national clearinghouse of criminal information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Access to the database is granted on a “need to know” basis, meaning that certain types of law enforcement may not be allowed to access these records.
Purpose of the Federal Database
The NCIC was created in 1967 when J. Edgar Hoover was the current FBI Director. The system’s primary purpose was to create a centralized flow of data that allowed information to be retrieved by numerous law enforcement agencies. Local, state, federal and foreign agencies contribute information to the databases, which contains more than 39 million records. The timeline below illustrates how these databases evolved over a period of time.
|
OVERVIEW OF THE NCIC DATABASE TIMELINE |
|
Date Established |
Category of Information |
Purpose of Information |
|
1967 |
Stolen Property, Wanted Persons & Federal Fugitives |
Apprehend fugitives and locate stolen property |
|
1975 |
Individuals Officially Reported as “Missing Persons” |
Assist law enforcement to locate missing people who are not wanted on criminal charges |
|
1983 |
Unidentified Dead People |
Cross-references unidentified bodies against missing persons |
|
1983 |
Criminal History of the Suspect |
Gives law enforcement quick access to criminal history |
|
1983 |
United States Secret Service Protective Alerts |
Individuals believed to pose a threat to the U.S. President |
|
1987 |
Foreign Fugitives |
Response to increased international crime |
|
1995 |
Terrorist Organizations and Gangs |
To identify terrorists, criminal gangs and gang members |
Additional subcategories contain information about convicted sexual offenders, individuals who have violated immigration law, protected witnesses, convicts requiring supervised release and those suspected of committing identity theft. Property information is also tracked, such as boats, motor vehicles, guns, license plates and certain stocks.
How to Catch a Criminal
Criminal agencies contribute to the NCIC databases by entering records about a crime. Let’s say that you report your car stolen by contacting local law enforcement officials. The officers take a report and then enter the information into the national database. When a law enforcement official makes a traffic stop, they routinely run the license plate for “wants and warrants”. If the report comes back showing that the vehicle is stolen, the officer must contact the agency that reported the car stolen to confirm the information before making an arrest. Each agency must validate their records periodically in order to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the data they entered. The Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) of the FBI has the overall responsibility for the administration of how NCIC is used within each jurisdiction. They appoint an individual to act as a systems officer, also known as a “CSO”. These individuals are tasked with making sure all users follow the correct protocol when using the system. All data is encrypted to prevent unauthorized access.
Burden of Proof Rests on the Government
Criminal databases can vary widely and the information entered is not 100% accurate. The system may indicate there is a current warrant out for someone who matches the description of another person. Mistakes are made every day and innocent people are arrested and convicted of crimes they did not commit due to mistaken eyewitness testimony. The burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you are the individual that committed the crime. If you have been arrested for a serious offense, it’s time to get a criminal defense attorney on your side.
