Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2024, $75,937)
The Delaware State Police, State Bureau of Identification, will use funds to ensure that mental health records contained in the State of Delaware’s NICS G4 database are complete and accurate. The Delaware Criminal Justice Information System (DELJIS) is responsible for the development and maintenance of the State’s criminal justice information system, including ensuring the completeness and accuracy of records contained within the system. DELJIS is responsible for working with Delaware Safety and Homeland Security for the Relief of Disabilities related to firearms. Often, a person will attempt to purchase a firearm either in or out of state and be denied due to a G4 record. Homeland Security or DELJIS will receive a call either from the local law enforcement agency to determine if the person knew they were prohibited, or the individual themselves to determine why they are prohibited. DELJIS staff, working in conjunction with Homeland Security, will attempt to try and determine why the person is in the G4 database. DELJIS is requesting fund to conduct research on current records to make the determination process more efficient in the future. In addition, DELJIS will develop ad-hoc programs that will help to clean up dispositions that can be researched and resolved to close charges/cases listed as pending. DELJIS noticed that the Delaware Department of Justice was entering dispositions of nolle prosequi later (NPL) on charges/cases that would be nolle prosequi after a plea was taken on other charges. Unfortunately, these charges were not closed. DELJIS is proposing to research and close these cases/charges with a final disposition, giving a more accurate and complete history of the individual.