FY 2013 Virgin Islands Criminal History Improvement Program

The goal of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) is to improve the Nation's safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information and by insuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems. BJS provides direct financial and technical assistance to the states to improve criminal history and other related records and to build their infrastructure to connect to national record check systems both to supply information and to conduct the requisite checks.

Under this award, the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC), the territory's NCHIP administering agency, will use NCHIP funds to replace its current NCIC 2000 system with the Gateway NCIC Message Switch System. The Message Switch provides a gateway between state law enforcement information and national information systems, such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and the National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (NLETS). It is the most comprehensive and robust technology platform for the secure, reliable sharing of information in the law enforcement and criminal justice environment. The primary goal of installing the Message Switch is to improve the territory's records systems and its ability to maintain and transmit reliable and accurate criminal history records to the national systems. CA/NCF