Department of Public Safety - Criminal Information Services Bureau, Access Integrity Unit, and Fingerprint Identification Bureau

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) serves as the central repository of criminal history records and related criminal justice information in Arizona.  DPS is responsible for ensuring that criminal justice agencies, such as police, county attorneys, and the courts, provide complete and accurate criminal history information. DPS could better fulfill its responsibility as the State’s central repository by expanding the criminal history reporting review program it began in 1999 that assesses the reporting of criminal history information on a county-by-county basis.  DPS also needs to expedite and improve its background check function. In many cases, state law requires these checks for persons who work with children or vulnerable adults.  However, depending on the type, these checks can take up to nearly three months to complete both the state and federal checks. Computer upgrades that would allow electronic submission of fingerprints to the FBI would help speed up the background checks and allow DPS to do a more thorough job. In addition, DPS should continue its efforts to join the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact that was established to help participating states directly exchange criminal history information for purposes such as background checks.