320 Nelson Street, P.O. Box 778, Tiffin, OH 44883
Phone (419) 448-3200 Fax (419) 447-3274
General E-Mail: adtrib@bright.net
Newsroom E-Mail: atnews@bright.net

Crime computer going hgher-tech

If you've ever listened to a police scanner, you've got to be familiar with the letters NCIC.

The National Crime Information Center is a service available since 1967 to law enforcement agencies if they buy their own equipment with which to use it for background checks. Last weekend, according to FBI officials, an improved version of the system became operational at the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services division in the Clarksburg area of Harrison County, W.Va.

The new system, which cost $183 million, is called the National Crime Information Center 2000, and it can process an astounding number of requests per day: 2.4 million.

FBI officials explained the West Virginia-based NCIC 2000 is technically superior to its predecessor. or example, it has the ability to search for derivatives of names &emdash; Geoff and Jeffrey, instead of just Jeff.

The new services available to law enforcement agencies include: right index fingerprints; mugshots; a database of scars, tattoos and other identifiers; images of vehicles; and names of people on parole or probation, or in federal prisons.

In addition, NCIC 2000 features "information linking," which enables all available data related to a particular case to be returned with a single inquiry.

When we read about this magnificent new law enforcement tool, we couldn't help but think of HAL, the super helpful computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey." While HAL ultimately became the villain of that science fiction movie, the NCIC 2000 is primed to quickly locate potential villains in a much scarier terrain &emdash; real life.

The next time you hear the letters NCIC on a police scanner you'll know some law enforcement officer somewhere is being aided by state of the art equipment.

 Top of Page