FY 2020 National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP)

The goal of the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) is to improve the Nation's safety and security by enhancing the quality, completeness, and accessibility of criminal history record information and by insuring the nationwide implementation of criminal justice and noncriminal justice background check systems. BJS provides direct financial and technical assistance to the states to improve criminal history and other related records and to build their infrastructure to connect to national record check systems both to supply information and to conduct the requisite checks.

The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) will use FY20 NCHIP funding to address criminal history records information in addition to providing administrative oversight for the following projects:

1) Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO): MCAO will use 6 FTE to resolve new dispositions that occur during the project period. MCAO will also offer overtime to eligible staff members to resolve backlogged dispositions per month. In addition, staff will digitize paper-based criminal case records to an electronic based system.

2) AZ DPS Livescan: AZ DPS will use NCHIP funds to purchase 8 Livescans for statewide sheriff departments and 2 other Livescans for Maricopa County Juvenile Courts. Funds will also be used for 4 FTE to research and automate records currently not in the ACCH database.

3) Pinal County Attorney’s Office (PCAO): PCAO will use NCHIP funds to reduce the backlog of missing court dispositions to increase the criminal dispositions available to state and federal agencies. PCAO will hire 3 contractors to focus on researching and resolving the dispositions.

4) Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO): PCSO will use funds to scan approximately 400 boxes of arrest bookings used for court disposition records. PCSO will hire staff to ensure each record is complete, accurate, and accessible as well as quality checked by a second staff member.

5) Gilbert Police Department (GPD): GPD will use funds to digitize and scan about 57,000 paper police reports and 9,000 file attachments used for court dispositions and NICS record requests. Staff will be used to quality check and evaluate each record to ensure they are complete, accurate and accessible.

6) Tuscan Police Department (TPD): TPD will use funds to purchase 7 AFIS computers and workstations to replace the antiquated and outdated server and workstations.

7) Coconimo County Attorney’s Office (CCAO): CCAO will use funds to hire 1 FTE to reduce the backlog of open dispositions from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018. (CA/NCF)