ISRAEL'S POLICE SYSTEM IS BUILT AROUND A CENTRAL COMPUTER LOCATED IN THE NATIONAL POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN JERUSALEM. THE MAIN SYSTEMS IN OPERATION ARE (1) THE CRIMINAL OFFENDERS FILE, (2) THE CRIME FILE, (3) THE TRAFFIC SYSTEM, (4) A POLICE PERSONNEL FILE, (5) A PRISONERS FILE, AND (6) SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLEMENTING EYEWITNESS DESCRIPTIONS. SYSTEMS IN PREPARATION INCLUDE A FILE OF INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED, A CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEM, AND AN INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE CRIMINAL COURTS. THE POLICE COMPUTER CAN ALSO USE THE COMPUTER FILES OF OTHER ISRAEL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, SUCH AS THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR POPULATION REGISTERING FILE, AND THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE REGISTERING FILE. WHEN COMPUTER OPERATIONS BEGAN IN 1968, ISRAEL HAD NO LAW LIMITS THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION FROM POLICE RECORDS. LATER, THE POLICE INITIATED A BILL (NOT YET PASSED) WHICH LIMITS THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION TO (1) GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT NEED THE DATA FOR COURT PROCEEDINGS, PARDONS, AND CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS; (2) GOVERNMENT OR PROFESSIONAL COMMITTEES WITH LICENSING DUTIES; AND (3) FOREIGN LEGATIONS WHICH MUST PROVIDE VISAS. PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS MAY NOT OBTAIN THEIR CRIMINAL RECORDS UNLESS THE RECORDS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO AUTHORIZED INSTITUTIONS. ONLY POLICE HAVE ACCESS TO DATA ABOUT CHARGES NOT BROUGHT TO THE COURTS. FINALLY, TO PREVENT THE MISUSE OF COMPUTER TERMINALS, SPECIAL PROCEDURES SPECIFY EXACTLY WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE CRIMINAL RECORDS AND WHAT LEVEL OF DETAIL THEY ARE ALLOWED TO RECEIVE. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (WJR)