156 lines
8.1 KiB
Plaintext
156 lines
8.1 KiB
Plaintext
August 1990
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FOCUS ON NCIC:
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IDENTIFYING THE UNIDENTIFIED
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"Hunters find the torso of a white male in a
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field. A close examination of the body reveals
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that the victim has been shot. His head and
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hands, which were severed from the body, cannot
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be located. The only identifying mark is a tattoo
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of a woman's name on the victim's chest."
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"A major city police department receives a report
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that a young female with mental problems is missing.
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Several days later, in another jurisdiction, a
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young female commits suicide by jumping in front
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of a commuter train."
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In both instances, subsequent investigations failed to
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provide any leads. Neither victim had any identification, and
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there were no missing person reports in either jurisdiction in
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which the bodies were found that corresponded with the physical
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descriptions of the decedents. This prompted law enforcement
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officers to enter all information available on both victims into
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the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC).
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THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER
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Since 1983, NCIC has provided computerized assistance in
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matching unidentified persons and bodies with missing persons.
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The key to successful use of the system is the prompt entry of
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records into NCIC's Unidentified Person File and its Missing
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Person File.
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Each night, using the NCIC computer, FBI personnel conduct a
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cross search of descriptive information in the Missing Person
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File with the physical descriptors, dental characteristics, and
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personal accessories of unidentified deceased individuals or
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unidentified living persons, such as amnesiacs. This cross
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search provides a list of likely matches between records in the
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Missing Person File and those in the Unidentified Person File.
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In each of the opening situations described, NCIC matched
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the unidentified bodies with persons who had been reported
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missing because user agencies entered all available information
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into the system. Yet, while these files are a valuable asset to
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the law enforcement community, many officers are unaware of the
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availability of the files and are unsure when to enter
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unidentified person or missing person records into NCIC.
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Unidentified Person File
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The Unidentified Person File provides substantial latitude
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for entering records. Information should be entered into NCIC on
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any unidentified deceased person or on body parts when a body has
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been dismembered. In addition, information can be entered on
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living persons of any age who are unable to ascertain their
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identities, for example, an amnesia victim or an infant.
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Missing Person File
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The Missing Person File also provides a number of categories
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for entry. Law enforcement officers generally think of this file
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in terms of missing juveniles. However, there are additional
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categories that allow a police department to enter a person of
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any age who is missing and under proven physical or mental
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disability, or who is senile. The file also allows officers to
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enter information on persons of any age who are missing under
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circumstances indicating that their physical safety may be in
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danger or where their disappearance may not have been voluntary.
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Also, either file can be used in case of a catastrophe.
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Specific entry criteria allow law enforcement to enter a record
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concerning a person of any age who is missing after a catastrophe
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and to enter information concerning the physical description of
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any unidentified catastrophe victims.
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Entering Information
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Every law enforcement agency in the United States can enter
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records in both the Missing Person and the Unidentified Person
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Files. However, the information entered must be complete and
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accurate.
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Most inquiries of the Missing Person File involve living
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persons, and consequently, ask for standard information, such as
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name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. Unidentified
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persons, bodies, and body parts require more complex
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information. As a result, both files allow for entry of such
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information as blood type, corrective vision prescriptions,
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scars, marks and tattoos, and dental characteristics.
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Descriptive information on jewelry and clothing can also play a
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vital part in the identification process.
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Cross Searches
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The automatic cross search process uses artificial
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intelligence to make comparisons between the Missing Person and
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Unidentified Person Files. Every factor entered into the record
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is considered when seeking a match between the two files.
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The computer initially considers such obvious factors as sex
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and race to limit the number of possible candidates for a match.
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As the computer comparison progresses, the computer considers and
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weighs each area, establishing a score to select the most likely
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records for review by investigators.
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For example, in the first scenario detailed, the victim's
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head and hands had been severed to hinder identification. When
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the agency entered the missing person information, it included
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the unusual tattoo with the woman's name in the record. Because
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the tattoo had been entered, the computer established a high
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probability of a match. Without this information, the match
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would not have been made.
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Each unidentified person case is unique. And while the
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single most effective method of identification through a cross
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search between both files is the use of dental characteristics,
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this information is frequently unavailable. Therefore, police
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should enter as much information as can be obtained. Effective
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computer matches have been made using combinations of information
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that, taken individually, are not unique. However, when
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combined, the information creates a unique profile that leads to
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an identification.
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Newly obtained information should also be added to either
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file. Each time that a missing person or unidentified person
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record is modified with additional information, a fresh cross
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search is made. Entering additional information is particularly
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important in the Missing Person File, since some information may
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not be available at the time the report is taken. This could
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include blood type, dental information, and corrective vision
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prescriptions.
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Once the cross search comparison is completed, the agencies
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that entered the missing person record and the unidentified
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person record each receive a complete listing of match
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possibilities. The number of possible matches varies according
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to the amount of information placed in each file. More complete
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information provides more opportunities for high quality matches
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and subsequent positive identifications.
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CONCLUSION
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Through the FBI's Missing Person File and Unidentified
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Person File, police have help to identify the unidentified.
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Every State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the
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Virgin Islands have the capability to access each file. In
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addition, the manager of each State's criminal justice
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information system can answer any questions concerning these
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files. Or, users can obtain assistance from NCIC User Services
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at 202-FBI-NCIC.
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