Posted by The Foo in And everything else...

Reading a textbook on ethics in business as part of my MBA, I came across an astonishing fact about the FBI’s National Crime Information Center.

The National Crime Information Center is a database of integrated, real-time processing and online fingerprint matching data for terrorists, fugitives, outstanding arrest warrants, missing people, gang members and more. The fact that worries and disturbs me is in March 2003, the Justice Department eliminated the requirement for the FBI to keep its National Crime Information Center system accurate. The justification to that was it would “limit the ability of trained investigators and intelligence analysts to exercise their judgment in reporting on investigations and impede the development of criminal intelligence necessary for effective law enforcement.”

From that official statement from the Justice Department, isn’t that very contradictory? I am not sure how inaccurate information would “limit the ability” of any governmental or trained law enforcement agent. In fact, it would be the direct opposite. How would you expect to keep up with the activities of a criminal if all the information you have on him or her is not up to date. There is also a tendency for innocent people to be identified as criminals, more so than in the past. With financial institutions, airports and other public establishments being able to use this database as part of their screening processes, isn’t it better to have updated information?

One Response to “The National Crime Information Center”

1. 
   1

   Cristin said: @ 7:45 pm
   September 20th, 2007 

   
   

   Wow. That does sound particularly crappy. And creepy.

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