Fingerprint Record Expansion to Include MCDV Fields and Central Booking Center Expansion

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 2017 NCHIP priority areas, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) will conduct two projects: 1) update the current electronic system for the collection of fingerprint fields and expand the automated fingerprint protocol to include a specific field for Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence (MCDV) with Livescan updates; 2) purchase equipment for five Central Booking Centers.

1) Fingerprint Record Expansion to include MCDV: Currently, PA dos not have a computed offense classification for MCDV which leads to untimely submissions to the III and NICS because of the manual processing on the MCDV information. The Pennsylvania State Police will improve two efforts to ensure MCDV information is included in state and federal reporting databases in a more timely and efficient manner. The first portion of the project will update the current electronic system for the collection of fingerprint fields including: 1) Cohabitation Status of Offender/Victim; 2) Use of Force or Attempted/Threatened Use of Force; 3) Victim to Offender Relation, to expand the automated fingerprint protocol with specific fields related to MCDVs. The new fields identified will be used in conjunction with several of PA’s existing fields to more accurately identify and flag the charges that would be firearm prohibitors under PA and the NICS Index, as it relates to MCDV. In addition to the inclusion of MCDV data fields, all Livescans and CardScan machines will need to be updated with the MCDV fields. Additionally, all police officers will require training involving the updated collection and submission of any new MCDV fields within the fingerprint card sections. The additional automated MCDV data fields addresses the 2017 NCHIP area of updating and automating case outcomes from courts and prosecutors in state records and federal criminal history databases as well as capturing data on domestic violence misdemeanor convictions.

2) For the Livescan device and equipment project, The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association indicates there are 2 Pennsylvania geographic county locations that have been identified as being a targeted area for new Central Offender Booking Centers. These include: Elk and Erie Counties. A cooperative effort between state, county, and local agencies, the Central Booking project integrates the latest technologies for fingerprinting, image identification, video conferencing, and computerized, record management systems. A Central Booking Center includes the following three components: 1) Fingerprinting with Livescan devices that automates information to the AFIS at PSP for identification and storage and 2) Photo Imaging to capture and store digital photographs of arrested offenders which can be uploaded to the Commonwealth Photo Imaging Network (CPIN) repository for access. The average number of fingerprints submitted annually of the last five years is 1,036 for Elk County and 11,354 for Erie County. The additional Booking Centers addresses the 2017 NCHIP priority area of updating and automating case outcomes from courts and prosecutors in state records and federal criminal history databases.

(CA/NCF)