Focus on Technology

Wanted and Arrested
Person Records
By Mark Huguley, M.C.J.

© Mark C. Ide

When a firearms dealer screened a prospective gun customer through a point-of- Focus on Technology Wanted and Arrested Person Records By Mark Huguley, M.C.J. contact state for the National Instant Check System (NICS) for any criminal history that would preclude the buyer from purchasing the weapon, the inquiry found the individual wanted on criminal charges. When law enforcement agents responded to arrest her, she acted surprised and when asked if she knew of the outstanding warrants, she replied “Yes, but I have been in jail three times, and no one ever mentioned it!”

Although in the end law enforcement officers finally captured this woman, better use of records probably would have resulted in an earlier arrest and may have prevented subsequent offenses. Information management plays a key part to successful policing. If managed and used properly, arrest and wanted person records can provide officers significant assistance in the resolution of crime and apprehension of offenders.

Background

Recently, members of the Southern Working Group for the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) advisory process met to discuss advances in law enforcement information systems. One major issue concerned all members in attendance —how to get agencies to enter wanted persons into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).1 This problem goes beyond just the issue of entering persons into NCIC; it resonates to include fingerprinting and conducting wanted person checks on recently arrested individuals. In fact, the issue applies to all basic processes associated with managing information about individuals sought for arrest, as well as those recently arrested.

While the working group attempts to establish integrated justice data systems, develop new biometric identification techniques, and use other new information technologies in law enforcement, the police and other criminal justice practitioners must focus on three essential procedures. Following these basic steps in managing information about wanted and arrested subjects can help officers expedite the identification and apprehension of criminals.

Fingerprinting All Full-Custody Arrests

Most citizens believe that when police arrest them they get fingerprinted. Although this generally happens, for various reasons, some officers do not always fingerprint everyone they arrest. Police managers should ensure that the fingerprints of every person subjected to a full-custody arrest are submitted to a state identification bureau or central records repository. The state bureau and the FBI CJIS Division will use the fingerprints to establish a criminal history and identification record on that individual. Criminal history record information, supported by fingerprints, will allow positive identification in both criminal and civil investigations. Fingerprints permit the most accurate and reliable searches of criminal records. Oftentimes, the use of fingerprints may determine whether law enforcement can identify a subject.

Although police agencies can have a wellmanaged records office, occasionally, some agencies do not fingerprint until obtaining a disposition for pending charges on an individual. Because the FBI