Tuesday, July 19, 2011

FBI Next-Generation Identification initiative and Interoperability

Upgraded FBI biometric database to identify dangerous undocumented immigrants (nextgov.com)
A July 6 FBI internal fact sheet [.pdf] that an immigrants rights coalition obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, says, "IDENT/IAFIS interoperability under Secure Communities is part of a larger FBI/[Criminal Justice Information Services] Next-Generation Identification initiative," adding that "[Secure Communities] is the first opportunity for [law enforcement agencies] to fully and accurately identify suspects in their custody and gives them a head start on NGI."
Interoperability happens (or doesn't happen) at both the technical and the organizational level. The project described in the article requires high degree of interoperability from a whole lot of technical and organizational units.

The .pdf linked within the quote contains an internal FBI presentation to assist agents in fostering organizational interoperability between the FBI and local law enforcement organizations.

The technology is improving and the country's premiere law enforcement agency is adapting and applying the tech to the challenges it is charged with meeting.

The people side is the hard part.