Summary of FBI Computer Systems

>From the Illumi-Net BBSDecatur, GA

Conspiracy Theory Conference404-377-1141

Summary of FBI Computer Systems

By Ralph Harvey

This article is reprinted from Full Disclosure. Copyright (c) 1986

Capitol Information Association.All rights reserved. Permission is hereby

granted to reprint this article providing this message is included in its

entirety.Full Disclosure, Box 8275, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107. $15/yr.

The FBI maintains several computer systems.The most common of which is

call NCIC (National Crime Information Computer). NCIC maintains a database of

information about such things as stolen cars, stolen boats, missing persons,

wanted persons, arrest records. It provides quick access to these records by

State, Local and Federal law enforcement agencies.NCIC is directly linked

with the Treasury Department's TECS computer and many State computer systems.

According to William H. Webster, Director of the FBI:

When a police officer stops a car and is uncertain about who he's going to

meet when he gets out, he can plug into this system NCIC and in a matter of

a few seconds he can find out whether that person is a fugitive or the

automobile is stolen. Incidentally, we receive almost 400,000 inquires of

this nature each day in the NCIC system.

When an agency determines that a subject is a fugitive, it supplies the FBI

computer with as much of the following information as possible: 1) Name and

case number; 2) Alias; 3) Race; 4) Sex; 5) Height; 6) Weight; 7) Color of

hair; 8) Color of eyes; 9) Description of any identifying scars, marks and

tattoos; 10) Date of birth; 11) Place of birth; 12) Social Security Number;

13) Passport Number; 14) Last known address; 15) Nationality; 16) If a

naturalized U.S. Citizen, date, place, and certificate number; 17)

Occupation; 18) The criminal violation with which subject is charged; 19)

Date of warrant; 21) Type of warrant -- Bench, Magistrate, etc.; 22) Agency

holding warrant; 23) Any information as to whether the subject is considered

dangerous, is known to own or currently possess firearms, has suicidal

tendencies, or has previously escaped custody; 24) Driver's license number,

year of expiration and State issued; 25) License number of vehicle, aircraft

or vessel subject owns or is known to use, include the year and State; 26)

Description of vehicle, aircraft or vessel subject owns or is known to use;

27) Associates of the subject*1; 28) FBI number; 29) Name and telephone of

the person to contact when subject is apprehended.

One of the major problems with the system is that the agency that submits an

entry is responsible for keeping it up to date. Once an entry has been made,

there is little motivation for the originating agency to ``waste'' its time

keeping it up to date, so many entries become incorrect with the passage of

time.

Another FBI computer system is their Investigative Support Information

System (ISIS). This system is only used to provide support for major

investigations that require the handling of a large volume of complex

information.It is limited to handling a maximum of 20 cases at a time.

The ISIS system was used during the investigation of the murder of Federal

Judge John Wood in San Antonio, Texas. In this case, the FBI entered 300,000

pieces of information, including 6,000 interviews, hotel registration

information from every hotel in the area, etc.The accused, while on trial,

claimed he was several hundred miles away.The FBI cross referenced his name