N-DEx 2
The Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx) is America’s premier information-sharing tool used by criminal justice professionals to put the right information into the right hands right now. N-DEx uses criminal justice data from local, state, tribal, and federal agencies across the nation to quickly “connect the dots” between data that may seem unrelated. It is a repository of criminal justice records, available in a secure online environment, managed by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
N-DEx brings together data such as incident and case reports, arrest reports, computer-aided dispatch calls, traffic citations, narratives, photos, supplements, booking and incarceration data, and parole/probation information. Additionally, N-DEx automatically correlates and resolves data from open and closed reports to detect relationships between people, vehicles/property, locations, and/or crime characteristics. It also supports multi-jurisdictional task forces—enhancing national information sharing, links between regional and state systems, and virtual regional information sharing.
N-DEx provides no-fee access to national data in real time, with results returned in a matter of seconds, based on the user’s Internet connection. The system benefits professionals working at all stages of the criminal justice process, making it easy to access pertinent information from law enforcement, corrections, and parole/probation files.
Law enforcement benefits of N-DEx can be classified in three main categories: investigative uses, strategic uses, and tactical uses.
Investigative uses of N-DEx include the ability to:
- Conduct nationwide searches across jurisdictions, gathering information from various aspects of the criminal justice life cycle via a single access point;
- Search names, IDs, people, phone numbers, tattoos, associates, cars, boats, other property, etc.;
- Search by modus operandi; and
- Receive notifications and collaborate with others on similar investigations.
Strategic uses of N-DEx include the ability to:
- Coordinate task forces;
- Identify crime trends;
- Use geovisualization and mapping features; and
- Facilitate deconfliction.
Tactical uses of N-DEx include the ability to:
- Identify “hotspots” of criminal activity;
- Assess threat levels of persons or addresses;
- Form additional investigative partnerships; and
- Enhance officer safety both in law enforcement and corrections.
For more information regarding N-DEx participation, look under the Participation Resource Center (see right navigation bar), e-mail ndex@leo.gov, or call (304) 625-4242.
