ACHIEVING A BALANCE BETWEEN NATIONAL SECURITY AND THE PRESERVATION OF INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES IS THE MAIN THRUST OF THE FBI. IN PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CITIZENS, THE FBI HAS JURISDICTION OVER ABOUT 185 INVESTIGATIVE MATTERS IN SECURITY AND CRIMINAL FIELDS. ELECTRONIC SURVEILLANCE IS USED BY THE FBI IN THE SECURITY FIELD ONLY AS A LAST RESORT TO OBTAIN INFORMATION. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE INITIATED ONLY WHEN SPECIFIC FEDERAL STATUTE VIOLATIONS ARE INDICATED. THE FBI HAS PREVENTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES AND IS CHARGED WITH GATHERING INTELLIGENCE-TYPE INFORMATION. ITS DUTY IS TO CONDUCT APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATIONS IN DETERMINING WHAT FEDERAL LAWS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED OR ARE LIKELY TO BE VIOLATED. THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER (NCIC) IS A COMPUTERIZED INDEX OPERATED BY THE FBI. IT CONTAINS CRIMINAL INFORMATION ON SERIALIZED STOLEN PROPERTY AND WANTED PERSONS THAT CAN BE INSTANTLY RETRIEVED BY A COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. CRIMINAL HISTORY FILES MAINTAINED BY THE NCIC ARE AVAILABLE TO AUTHORIZED RECIPIENTS. THE BEST PROTECTION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES EVOLVES FROM HIGH-QUALITY, DEDICATED, AND SENSITIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT BALANCES NATIONAL SECURITY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. (DEP)