Livescan Upgrades for Local Agencies throughout Ohio

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 Ohio Attorney General's Office (AGO) will use funds to increase the completeness and enhance the quality of criminal history record information available to Ohio's law enforcement at the state and local level and to the FBI at the national level through purchase and installation of livescan fingerprint units to 10 law enforcement agencies across the state. Section 109.60 of the Ohio Revised Code requires law enforcement to submit arrest fingerprint data to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). In 2005, BCI worked with law enforcement to replace approximately 100 livescan devices throughout the state. The 100 units represent a second round of livescan distributions that replaced aging equipment, first distributed in 1998. Like the initial distribution of livescans in 1998, the second round of funding was made possible through a federal grant from the Department of Justice. Presently, there are 258 active livescan devices statewide that are used to submit arrest data to BCI. There are a significant number of devices in the field that are at risk for developing technical problems and many agencies are in need of a device that is equipped with all of the capabilities and efficiencies to submit all applicable arrest data. Some of the livescans are so old that the vendors will not be able to upgrade them to be compliant with BCI's advanced technology. The legacy livescan units need to be replaced. The BCI within the AGO will fund the purchase of 10 livescan systems for local law enforcement entities by analyzing data relevant to three critical indicators: 1) population served; 2) age of the current livescan device; and 3) volume of current livescan submissions. Special consideration will be given to law enforcement agencies that have a large population and a livescan device that is no longer in service. (CA/NCF)