Law Enforcement: Information on the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Gang Reporting, Evaluation, and Tracking System

• NCJ Number: 139532
• Author(s): H A Valentine
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 15 pages
• Corporate Author: US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: Eastern Kentucky University
• Publication Type: Presentation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Testimony Before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights

Annotation

This report examines the records, controls, and safeguards used in the computerized database system maintained by the Angeles County Sheriff's Department to track Los Angeles area street gangs and their members.

Abstract

As of June 3, 1992 the Gang Reporting, Evaluation, and Tracking System (GREAT) contained information on about 1,500 street gangs and more than 105,000 street gang members. More than 130 law enforcement agencies have access to GREAT through their computer systems. The U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) studied the system because the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI have proposed the joint development of a national gang information network. GAO found that most of GREAT's controls and safeguards appear generally adequate for protecting constitutional rights and civil liberties. However, Federal agencies may want to consider certain issues in determining the design and scope of a national network. In particular, independent audits are essential for maintaining a system's integrity, and criteria should be used to establish gang membership.