This is the 5th installment of our 5 part series on 28-CFR

The key auditing requirements for agencies that have gang databases under 28 CFR Part 23 include:

1. Data Accuracy: Regular audits must be conducted to verify the accuracy and reliability of the information entered into the database. This helps identify and correct any errors or discrepancies that might have occurred during data entry or maintenance.

2. Data Retention: Audits must ensure compliance with data retention policies. The database should only retain information for as long as it remains necessary for legitimate law enforcement purposes and in accordance with state and federal laws.

3. Data Security: Regular audits should be performed to assess security measures are in place to protect the data from unauthorized access or dissemination.

4. Compliance with Guidelines: The database’s operations must align with the guidelines set forth in 28 CFR Part 23. These guidelines mandate adherence to civil rights protections and privacy regulations.

5. User Access: Audits should verify that access to the database is restricted to authorized personnel only and that proper protocols are in place to monitor and control user access.

Benefits of Auditing and Compliance with Guidelines:

• Data Integrity: Regular audits help maintain the accuracy and reliability of the information in the gang database. This ensures that law enforcement agencies rely on correct data for their investigations, leading to more effective outcomes.
• Civil Rights Protection: Auditing helps identify any potential violations of an individual’s civil rights, such as profiling, discrimination, or wrongful inclusion in the database. Addressing these issues promptly promotes fair and just law enforcement practices.
• Privacy Protection: By ensuring compliance with data retention and security policies, audits help safeguard individuals’ privacy, preventing unauthorized access or disclosure of sensitive information.
• Increased Accountability: Auditing holds law enforcement agencies accountable for their use and management of the gang database. This can lead to improved training, policies, and procedures, reducing the risk of abuse or misuse of the system.
• Public Trust and Confidence: Demonstrating adherence to auditing requirements and guidelines fosters public trust in law enforcement agencies’ use of gang databases. It shows a commitment to transparency and responsible data handling.

In summary, regular audits play a vital role in upholding the integrity of gang databases. Compliance with auditing requirements and guidelines can bring numerous benefits.

By breaking down this series on 28 CFR, we hope you have a better understanding of how important it is to have a policy in place, and compliance with that policy, so you can protect individuals’ privacy and civil liberties while still fighting gang-related crime.

The GangScope Team

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GangScope™ is an intelligence database that helps capture, analyze, search and share intelligence on criminals, gangs, and more. GangScope acts as a first-tier, internal database that manages data on known and suspected criminals and gang members. Intelligence is collected per incident and can include qualifiers, associates, acquaintances (points of contact), witnesses, images, and documents. GangScope’s collection of detailed information aids in investigations, analysis and ultimately solving crime. The software complies with standards outlined by federal (28 CFR) policies. While complying with standards, GangScope™ boasts usability through simple yet extensive data mining via search, reports, profiles, and watches.

The overall goal of GangScope™ is to provide law enforcement personnel/ crime analysts/ correctional officers/prosecutors with maximum data through a friendly user interface while remaining cost-effective.  

A non-gang version – IntelScope is also available if needed.

To learn more or to schedule a full demo of our system – request a demo here. We would welcome the opportunity to show you how Gangscope can help your department organize and store your data in a secure and compliant way.