The U.S. Department of Justice awarded $1,121,422 to the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety through the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ Fiscal Year 2025 Consolidated National Criminal History Improvement Program, according to a July 16 announcement.
Rhode Island’s criminal justice agencies will use the funding to modernize technology, strengthen criminal history reporting, and improve the quality of records relied upon by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, and for firearm background checks. First Assistant United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda said, “Maintaining accurate criminal history records requires ongoing coordination among our state and local criminal justice partners. This funding will support those collaborative efforts and help ensure information used throughout Rhode Island’s criminal justice system remains reliable, complete, and current.”
Colonel Darnell S. Weaver, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Director of the Department of Public Safety, said, “A modern and secure criminal records system is essential to protecting public safety and ensuring justice is administered efficiently. This funding will allow us to update our technology, strengthen the integrity of our criminal history records, and ensure compliance with the FBI’s Next Generation Identification standards. These investments will help us make better-informed decisions while improving service to the public.”
Planned initiatives include replacing outdated Livescan fingerprinting equipment; reducing backlogs in processing criminal history records; enhancing security and reliability for the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Telecommunications System; strengthening reporting to state and federal databases; and supporting compliance with FBI Next Generation Identification standards.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island enforces federal laws across all areas of Rhode Island in partnership with agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation and supports safer communities through programs like Elder Justice that assist vulnerable residents, according to its official website.