ACCESS TO CRIMINAL HISTORY FILES FOR PERSONNEL SECURITY PURPOSES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-00812R000100160006-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: December 13, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
F
Security Committee
SECOM-D-298
13 December 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: SECOM Members
Chairman, SECOM Personnel Security Subcommittee
SUBJECT: Access to Criminal History Files for
Personnel Security Purposes
1. The attached memorandum from the NSA member of the Security Committee
discusses potential utilization of National Crime Information Center files to
obtain data needed by the Intelligence Community for personnel security
purposes.
2. SECOM members are requested to advise of problems their agencies have
encountered in accessing criminal history data, provide any suggestions they
have for overcoming those problems, and comment on enterprising
proposal. A copy of member inputs should be provided the airman of the
Personnel Security Subcommittee. This subject will be scheduled for
discussion at a SECOM meeting in early 1985.
3. The Personnel Security Subcommittee is requested to examine this
matter, conside suggestion and alternate ways for the Community
to access the required criminal history data, and prepare a report with
recommendations for SECOM consideration by 30 J,fularv 1985.
Attachment:
NSA memo serial M5/0068/84 dtd 28 Nov 84
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NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
CENTRAL SECURITY SERVICE
FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND 20755-6 0 0 0
Serial: M5/0068/84
28 November 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHAIRMAN, DCI SECURITY COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Interstate
Identification Index (III)
1. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) is a
computerized index of missing persons and criminal information
designed for a rapid exchange of information between criminal
justice agencies. It is located at and maintained by the FBI;
connecting terminals are located at Federal, state and local
law enforcement agencies throughout the United States.
2. The Interstate Identification Index (III), an NCIC
File, provides for the exchange of criminal history record
information. The III contains the information that is required
for a background investigation under Director of Central
Intelligence Directive 1/14, i.e., National Agency Checks
(NACs) and Local Agency Checks (LACs). Currently, 28 states
participate in the III System and the remaining states have
shown considerable interest. In the near future, the FBI will
no longer maintain entire criminal records on individuals
because these would be available from the states through III.
They will continue to maintain and provide records concerning
persons arrested by Federal agencies.
3. NSA has been experiencing increasing difficulty in
obtaining LACs and we believe the problem is shared elsewhere
in the Intelligence Community (IC). Several states refuse to
supply criminal history records to non-law enforcement
agencies. Many other states charge us for LACs. In addition,
NACs may be incomplete, thus, incorrect. States are not
required to inform the FBI of arrests but do so voluntarily.
Some states no longer submit any reports because the FBI has a
substantial backlog and is not up-to-date; other states relay
only a first arrest, not subsequent arrests. We could receive
a "no record" report or a one-time arrest record from the FBI
when, in fact, there may be a substantial number of arrests.
4. The NCIC Advisory Policy Board and law enforcement
agencies have a policy of not supplying criminal history
records for employment purposes. This policy is of course not
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a law and exceptions have been granted for employment purposes
for school teachers, professional card dealers and law
enforcement personnel. It is vital that the IC employ
individuals capable of protecting classified information.
Thus, we wish to request an exception to the policy for the
better protection of national security.
5. Each agency should be able to provide certain
assurances to the NCIC Board that the III System will not be
abused. The terminal can be stored in a locked room and a log
kept of its use. We currently obtain a release from each
person which authorizes us to conduct NACs and LACs. These can
be routinely provided to either the FBI or the appropriate
state whenever the III System is used for a NAC or LAC. Each
agency could provide its own terminal and access the III System
through the state system, e.g., the Maryland Interagency Law
Enforcement System (MILES) terminal for Maryland-based
agencies.
6. Research projects have been conducted on the use of
criminal records by Federal non-criminal justice agencies and
state and local aspects of using criminal records for non-
criminal justice purposes. The results of these two studies
will be coordinated and are due to be published soon.
7. The difficulty of obtaining NACs and LACs is a dilemma
facing the entire Intelligence Community. We are requesting
that SECOM consider this issue, perhaps assigning it to the
Personnel Security Subcommittee. The NCIC Board or the III Ad
Hoc Subcommittee should then be presented with a unified
appeal on behalf of the IC to be granted access to the III
System for the better protection of.national security.
Director of Security
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