The montana board of crime control plans to improve criminal history data quality and sharing with national systems by continuing to fund data management staff and introduce an AI-based analytics tool…

The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics awarded the Montana Board of Crime Control a cooperative agreement totaling $700,000 on July 1, 2026, under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP, CFDA 16.554).

The award funds improvements to criminal history data quality and national system sharing through three primary activities. The recipient will continue funding data management staff and introduce an AI-based analytics tool to analyze and visualize criminal justice data. The award also strengthens data quality through an enhanced NIBRS quality assurance review program, including onsite visits to local law enforcement agencies and development of a supporting application.

The award period runs through June 30, 2029, with place of performance in Helena, Montana. The Montana Board of Crime Control, doing business as the Crime Control Division, serves as the state's designated agency for administering federal criminal justice grants and functions as a pass-through entity distributing federal funding to local agencies, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations throughout Montana. NCHIP provides financial and technical assistance to states and tribes to establish or improve computerized criminal history record systems and related systems capturing data on mental health records, protection and restraining orders, domestic violence convictions, and other information that may disqualify individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms.

The montana board of crime control plans to improve criminal history data quality and sharing with national systems by continuing to fund data management staff and introduce an AI-based analytics tool to help analyze and visualize criminal justice data. The project also aims to strengthen data quality through an improved nibrs quality assurance review program, including onsite visits to local law enforcement agencies and development of a supporting application.