Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2020, $1,009,423)
The NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, P. L. 110-180 ("NIAA"), was initially signed into law by the President on January 8, 2008 (reauthorized by Title VI of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, P.L. 115-141). The NIAA amends the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 ("the Brady Act") (Pub. L. 103-159), under which the Attorney General established the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The Brady Act requires Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to contact the NICS before transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person for information on whether the proposed transferee is prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm under state or federal law. The NIAA authorizes grants to be made in a manner consistent with the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP).
Under the 2020 NARIP priority areas, the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) will administer and monitor the following 5 projects in collaboration with their partner agencies:
1) Development and Modifications of the Show-Me Courts System: The Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) will continue to develop the new Show-Me Courts case management system. Two IT Programmers will work with the Show-Me Courts project team to complete the programming for the system to initiate and dispose of criminal and probate cases. Tasks include: development of functionality that will allow for reporting of felony and misdemeanor chargers to MSHP; continued development of dashboard functionality for proper reporting to NICS; design and development for criminal dispositions of not guilty by reason of mental health issues; and design and development for probate mental health case functionality.
2) Missouri Office of Prosecution Services (MOPS) Technology Automation Resource Prosecutor: MOPS will hire a FT Resource Prosecutor (RP) for 1-Year who will be responsible for handling Technical Automation, Sex Offender, and Firearms-related questions, issues, and training. The RP will work independently and in coordination with OSCA and MSHP to coordinate the accuracy and completeness of the data transfer relating to criminal history reporting from prosecuting attorneys offices throughout OSCA and the central repository.
3) MOPS In-House IT Specialist: MOPS will hire a full-time in-house IT Specialist for 1-Year. The IT Specialist will provide technical assistance to prosecutors offices with program and equipment maintenance, address interface issues with other Criminal Justice partners such as OSCA and law enforcement agencies. Funding will also be used for conference and training-related travel this position.
4) MOPS Upgrades: MOPS will use funds to purchase laptops for local Prosecutors Offices and a one-year subscription to the eDiscovery feature through the Prosecutor Case Management System (Karpel) for county Prosecutors in order to send and track discovery for defense counsels as required by Missouri. In addition, funds will be used to create an interface to receive law enforcement reports through the state MoDEx system routed through the MSHP CJIS.
5) MSHP Overtime for Researching Missing Dispositions: The MSHP will use funds to continue an overtime project for court and prosecutor employees to research missing disposition information. MSHP has identified two types of incomplete records that need to be researched: 1) records that have charges but lack a court case disposition; and 2) records that have an arrest, but no indication if charges were filed or denied.
(CA/NCF)