Michigan 2017 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 this award, the Michigan State Police (MSP) will work with Michigan courts and prosecutors to improve the timeliness and accuracy of criminal history information. MSP is requesting funds for temporary personnel within the Criminal Justice Information Center (CJIC). The Criminal History Record (CHR) Quality Control Auditor will establish standards and evaluations for agencies that contribute to the CHR system. This position is accountable for the overall accuracy of the CHR database. A booking analyst will work in several capacities with both vendors and law enforcement to establish minimum standards, provide training and implement programming changes. Two open case technicians will be responsible for closing out open cases associated with concealed pistol license (CPL) applicants. Continued funding of two CHR liaisons will provide on-site, long term training to local agencies in some of Michigan’s largest cities on the reporting of criminal history data. Quarterly training opportunities for MSP CHR staff will provide a detailed overview of the criminal history process with explanations and resolutions for the many errors and omissions that result in open cases and pending records in the database. To assist with open case and pending record reduction, funds will be used for overtime within the MSP CJIC. Staff will work on essential projects including open case data submitted by local agencies, manual dispositions received from courts, and researching missing arrest data.

Significant technological improvements will be made possible through grant funding. An upgrade for the Automated Law Enforcement Information Access System (ALIAS) web application will immediately identify relevant data and ensure that records are accessible for criminal history inquiries at the state and national levels. Funds are requested to overhaul the Automated Pistol Registration System, the database and user interface used by law enforcement agencies to issue Michigan licenses to purchase a pistol. The current database and user interface application are 27 years old, with the only major enhancement being the conversion from a mainframe to a server environment. Also included are improvements to the Michigan prosecutor interface to CHR that will establish a centralized prosecutor case management system. Enhancements will transition prosecutors’ offices to a paperless environment and ensure consistency of captured data.

(CA/NCF)