Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Vermont Department of Public Safety received an $842,393 Cooperative Agreement from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) under the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP, CFDA 16.554) effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. This award supports modernization of Vermont's criminal history record systems through conversion of manual biometric records into electronic formats, enhancement of biometric data collection capabilities, and infrastructure upgrades including new LiveScan fingerprint devices and workstations. The project ensures that criminal history records are properly shared with federal systems including the Interstate Identification Index (III) and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

The Vermont Crime Information Center will execute the modernization initiative through trained staff and equipment procurement, with technical support from SEARCH, an external partner responsible for assessing Vermont's existing criminal history systems, developing a data dashboard, and supporting the modernization of outdated infrastructure. These deliverables align with NCHIP's dual objectives of improving criminal history data quality and completeness for criminal justice operations and firearm purchase background checks.