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National Crime Information Center - Your Silent Partner

NCJ Number
88519
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 52 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (March 1983) Pages: 10-15
Author(s)
G Lyford; U Wood
Date Published
1983
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) provides information to law enforcement agencies on stolen property, wanted persons, missing persons, Federal and State criminal history records, the make and model of a firearm, and Canadian warrants.
Abstract
Virtually all Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies throughout the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have access to NCIC records either directly or through communication links to State and metropolitan area computer systems. NCIC is managed by the FBI in cooperation with local, State, and Federal criminal justice agencies. It is interfaced with the States' telecommunications networks via dedicated lines. Should an agency find NCIC information (a 'hit') on property or a person it has contacted, it must contact the agency originating the information to confirm that the warrant is still outstanding, the person being questioned is identical with the subject of the record, and to obtain extradition information. In the case of property records, the inquiring agency must verify that a theft report is on file, the property is identical with the record, and obtain information concerning return of the property to the rightful owner. During the course of some investigations, information may develop which does not lend itself to online inquiries. In such cases, an offline search of NCIC records may be requested. An offline search is a special inquiry of NCIC for information which cannot be obtained through online inquiry and may be made against two sources of NCIC records: the NCIC data base of active records and the historical data which is maintained offline on magnetic tape.