The Justice Department announced the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP enhances public safety by enabling federally recognized Tribes to access and exchange data with national crime information databases, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC), for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes.
“The Department’s Tribal Access Program is a critical asset that Tribes can deploy to increase safety and justice in their communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Year in and year out, TAP’s value – enabling Tribes to access and exchange federal criminal justice information – has proven indispensable in advancing Tribal public safety across the country. I encourage all eligible Tribes to participate.”
FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate added, “The Tribal Access Program is a highly valuable resource which aids in facilitating additional support to law enforcement partners and the communities they serve. TAP gives Tribal partners a mechanism to share and collaborate on time-sensitive information that can be used to help better serve and protect their communities. The program has already experienced tremendous success, and this application period offers an opportunity to further expand this important tool to even more partners.”
The Department will accept TAP applications from June 24 to August 30, with selected Tribes notified in September. Currently, 132 federally recognized Tribes participate in TAP.
The program provides software, hardware, training, a web-based application, and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations for processing fingerprints, taking mugshots, and submitting information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems.
Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
“The Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Senior Director Justice Services Suzanne Drywater of the Cherokee Nation. “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support, our Tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty, and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.”
“TAP provides the Suquamish Tribal Police Department with access to national criminal justice information to properly conduct criminal investigations and make NICS entries to prevent persons with legal restrictions from purchasing firearms,” said Administrative Services Manager Lisa Sparks of the Suquamish Tribal Police Department.
For interested Tribes considering applying, TAP staff will conduct informational webinars describing the program's capabilities throughout July and August. For more details about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-2024-applications.
To qualify for funding under TAP:
- A Tribe must have a sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act;
- A Tribal law enforcement agency with arrest powers;
- A Tribal court that issues orders of protection;
- Or a Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.
TAP is funded by several offices within the Justice Department: Office of Sex Offender Sentencing Monitoring Apprehending Registering Tracking (SMART); Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS); Office for Victims of Crime (OVC); Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). It is co-managed by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and Office of Tribal Justice (OTJ).
