Nebraska State Patrol FY15 NCHIP

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 the 2015 NCHIP award, the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) will use funds to continue the development of the Patrol Criminal History (PCH) Rewrite, Update criminal history records, conduct the criminal history audit process and enhance livescan capabilities.

Under Project 1, NSP proposes to continue the PCH rewrite project that has been funded under the previous NCHIP awards. Historically, the PCH was used as the portal to capture all of the data, current and historical, for the Patrol and due to upgrades in technology and the limitations of the original system needed to be upgraded. As a result of the rapid technological advancements, deficiencies occur in the functional ability and user-friendliness of the PCH. As such, the PCH needs to be maintained and updated to ensure the most complete, accurate, and timely records are available.

Under Project 2, NSP proposes to continue efforts under previously funded NCHIP awards to update the State's criminal history records. A system is only as good and relevant as the information that it contains. As such, NSP has embarked on efforts to ensure that its records are complete, accurate and accessible. This project direct aligns with the main priorities of the NCHIP initiative and will ultimately provide greater functionality, use and relevance to the State and their other record improvement initiatives such as the PCH rewrite.

Under Project 3, NSP proposes to continually develop the criminal history auditor team. The need for greater compliance in the collection of fingerprints for misdemeanors and felonies is critical. To ensure the highest quality transfer, agencies must adopt uniform reporting procedures. Nebraska State Statute §29-209 requires the collection of fingerprints for felonies only. Therefore, fingerprints in misdemeanor crimes, such as domestic violence or drug charges, are not being collected. All counties that have been contacted about the Auditor's review of their criminal history process and documentation have been receptive to learning how to improve their process.

Under Project 4, NSP proposes to acquire and implement five (5) additional livescan systems throughout the state. Nebraska's AFIS receives arrest information from 23 Livescans used by high-volume criminal history record contributors. However, approximately 200 local law enforcement agencies, with over 7,000 arrest cards annually, are collecting fingerprints via ink cards and mailing them monthly to the Repository for entry. Therefore, a significant delay exists between the time of an arrest, the time the subject is fingerprinted, and the time the arrest cards are received for entry into the Repository and III. If the arrest qualifies as a federal prohibitor for NICS and the county has mailed in the card(s), a violation of Nebraska Statute §29-3516 has occurred. The Statute requires fingerprint records be submitted no later than fifteen (15) days after the occurrence of an event which constitutes a disposition.

(CA/NCF)