Pennsylvania Criminal History System Improvement

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 2016 NCHIP priority areas, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) will conduct one project to subaward the funds to the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association for implementing a training program. The Four Phase Fingerprint Strategy training includes the following actions: 1) create materials and distribute them via mail and email outline the reasons why police have to ensure every arrest is fingerprinted; 2) conduct 4-6 trainings throughout the state, in the regions with the lowest compliance rates to explain the needs for fingerprinting and problems and risks of missing criminal history records; 3) production of training material in electronic form saved on a flash drive that can be distributed to 2,000 criminal justice agencies which will include the PA State Police Fingerprint Manual and help videos; and 4) production of online eLearning programs for all police and others responsible for fingerprinting arrests. The training will cover the process from the initial arrest through all of the steps until the final disposition. The state averaged about 86% for total submission of required fingerprints. This training program will help increase and meet the total required submission of fingerprints throughout the state.

CA/NCF