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Role of the Computer in Law Enforcement

NCJ Number
88517
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 52 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (March 1983) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
T J Deakin
Date Published
1983
Length
30 pages
Annotation
A series of articles considers the operations and benefits of the Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS), the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), the National Stolen Art File (NSAF), microcomputers for law enforcement, and the sharing of a computer under the concept of disputed data processing.
Abstract
REJIS provides data processing services and online information systems for police, court, and corrections agencies at the Federal, State, county, and local levels in St. Louis and adjacent counties (Missouri) and four counties in Illinois. Through its interfaces with other law enforcement systems, REJIS provides a nationwide data base available through the user's REJIS terminal. NCIC is managed by the FBI in cooperation with local, State, and Federal criminal justice agencies. It provides information to law enforcement agencies in every State on stolen property, wanted persons, missing persons, Federal and State criminal history records, the make and model of a firearm, and Canadian warrants. The NSAF at FBI Headquarters is a central respository of data and photographs of art reported stolen by law enforcement agencies as well as art recovered but whose origin or ownership is unknown or questionable. Distributed data processing, which involves sharing a small local computer that has the capability of 'talking' to other computers, provides small police departments with high-speed, automated local criminal information at reduced costs without hampering retrieval capabilities. Microcomputers are relatively inexpensive, do not require extensive training to operate, and may be dedicated to one police function or may be shared by many functions. The Ocala Police Department (Florida) is developing microcomputer applications for departmental budgeting, inventory control, evidence tracking and control, criminal intelligence files, increased records management capability, and patrol manpower deployment. For individual entries, see NCJ 88518-21.