Law Officer Volume 5 Issue 1 | From the January 2009 Issue Thursday, January 1, 2009

Necessity is the mother of invention, and law enforcement's need to be able to share and access timely and accurate information across jurisdictional lines has spawned N-Dex, a revolutionary, national law enforcement information-sharing system.

N-Dex, the Law Enforcement National Data Exchange, is a records management system that enables local, tribal, state and federal agencies to share and access crime information. Through the collaborative efforts of the Raytheon Corporation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) Division, and local and state agencies, N-Dex was developed to improve the way law enforcement investigates, prosecutes and prevents crime.

A Little History
In February 2007, the Raytheon Corporation was tapped by the CJIS Division in a competitive bid to design and deploy the N-Dex system. The CJIS Division, Raytheon and subject matter experts from law enforcement, including representatives from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), National Sheriff's Association, Major County Sheriff's Association, Major Cities Chief's Association and others collaborated in the conceptual development of N-Dex's capabilities.

How it Works
N-Dex proves user-friendly, but incredibly robust. The system is operated and maintained by the CJIS Division and allows agencies to input their incident data into a central data repository. Data is then compared against other incidents already on file to identify similarities between incidents, such as persons, places and activities. N-Dex also provides contact information for other agencies across the U.S. and offers tools for working with other agencies on cases of mutual interest.

Additional system capabilities include:

• Nationwide searches from a single access point;
• Searches for clothing, tattoos, associates, cars, etc.;
• Notifications of similar investigations and suspects;
• Criminal activity hotspots and crime trends;
• Threat level assessments of individuals and addresses; and
• Crime mapping features.

When You'll See it
In March 2008, the CJIS Division began its incremental rollout of the system to law enforcement agencies across the nation, starting in Delaware. CJIS also began a "train-the-trainer" program in February 2008, which included computer-based and classroom training. Computer-based training is available on the Law Enforcement Online Web site (www.leo.gov). Trainers from agencies with working N-Dex capability will attend hands-on classroom instruction at the CJIS Division offices. The CJIS Division anticipates full N-Dex deployment in late 2009.

The Bottom Line
N-Dex has the potential to be the first system in U.S. history that allows agencies from across the nation and across all jurisdictions to openly share information. What is now needed is law enforcement's commitment to making full use of the technology as it becomes available to protect the citizens officers have sworn to serve.

To learn more about N-Dex, visit the FBI's Web site at www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/ndex/ndex_home.htm