July 25 -- The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) invites comments to OMB by August 29, 2022 regarding the ViCAP National Crime Database.
The FBI ViCAP National Crime Database serves the nation as a repository for the collection of information related to both solved and unsolved homicides, sexual assaults, missing persons and unidentified human remains. Federal, state, local, and tribal government law enforcement agencies charged with the responsibility of investigating violent crimes are authorized to voluntarily enter, search for, and analyze ViCAP-criteria case information in ViCAP.
ViCAP is the only national database that allows participating law enforcement agencies to make cross-jurisdictional matches of significant violent crimes using behavioral and investigative data, and ViCAP personnel can assist those agencies in the identification and linkage of similar cases based upon factors detailed in the ViCAP Web submissions. ViCAP can also provide analytical support, which includes, but is not limited to: the creation of maps, matrices and timelines, and the use and/or coordination of other resources and databases.
ViCAP provides authorized users (from Federal, state, local, and tribal government law enforcement agencies) activated in ViCAP with direct, real-time access to the ViCAP National Crime Database through secure internet connectivity of the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) which is administered by the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
Data is collected as the crimes occur. Cases not submitted to the database on a timely basis are cases missed when analysis is performed, and comparisons are drawn to other cases resulting in incomplete information available for use by all contributing agencies. The law enforcement community has an ever-increasing need for timely and accurate data. Obtaining this violent crime data is vital to ensuring the most efficient timely services to all authorized entities.
The VICAP Case Submission Form is a victim-driven system. It captures behavioral information concerning the offenses for murder, sexual assault, missing persons, and unidentified human remains. Identifying information is masked for victims of attempted homicide and sexual assault to agencies other than the submitting agency, its hub agency (if applicable) and FBI ViCAP.
Of the approximately 18,000 government law enforcement agencies that are eligible to submit cases, it is estimated that approximately 7,200 respondents will submit one response annually. Approximately 98% of the responses are submitted electronically through a secure law enforcement internet portal. The remaining 2% are submitted via a hardcopy case submission form.
ViCAP National Crime Database webpage:
https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/vicap
Submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202205-1110-002 Click on IC List for collection instrument, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this site.
FR notice inviting public comment:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-15819
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806