VERMONT CRIMINAL INFORMATION CENTER

CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS REPOSITORY

VCIC is the repository of  all criminal record information generated by criminal justice agencies statewide. VCIC consolidates and verifies arrest, prosecution, sentencing, and correctional information provided by other agencies into a criminal history format which documents a subject's contacts with the criminal justice system in Vermont.

VCIC is responsible for processing requests for criminal history record checks from authorized criminal justice agencies and non-criminal justice agencies.  Access to VCIC criminal history records is restricted to agencies/organizations who have statutory authority to request criminal records for criminal justice or employment screening purposes. VCIC staff are charged with the responsibility of auditing requesting agencies to ensure that their use of the repository's records is consistent with state and federal law.

VCIC manages the statewide ten-print fingerprint repository for defendants arraigned in a Vermont criminal court.  Fingerprints are maintained to positively identify subjects and to provide supporting documentation for charges posted to the criminal history record.  VCIC is also responsible for processing all fingerprint supported requests for criminal record checks for employment screening.

NCIC is a national automated information system established nearly thirty years ago by the FBI to support criminal justice agencies at all levels. NCIC information includes data on wanted and missing persons and stolen property. NCIC operates under a shared management concept involving the FBI and the states. A single state agency in each state assumes the duties and responsibilities for managing the system for the entire state. In Vermont, VCIC is responsible for administration, training, and oversight of the NCIC system.

VCIC is responsible for maintaining statewide files of photographs of defendants taken at the time of arrest or incarceration.

VCIC maintains the statewide database of all persons considered to be fugitives from justice and for whom an arrest warrant has been issued by a Vermont district court. VCIC is responsible for entering and clearing warrants as well as auditing the accuracy of the system. In order to facilitate the enforcement of arrest warrants, VCIC provides law enforcement agencies with information regarding fugitives residing within their jurisdiction on a monthly basis.

Pursuant to VSA Title 13, Section 5401, VCIC is responsible for maintaining a registry of subjects convicted of certain sex offenses.VCIC is responsible for annually updating the information in the Registry particularly the address of the registrant.  VCIC is charged by statute with the responsibility of informing local law enforcement agencies of the address of registrants living within the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction.

VCIC administers the state UCR program. The program is a state and national criminal justice data collection program managed by the FBI. The program focuses on collecting data related to crimes reported to the police. VCIC is responsible for collecting, editing, and analyzing reported crime data from all law enforcement agencies statewide. The results of the analysis are published by VCIC in the annual Vermont Crime Report which presents crime at the state, county, and town level.

Vermont is currently one of only nine states in the nation that has an incident-based reporting system (VIBRS) which is in compliance with the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System specifications.  VIBRS is a new, more comprehensive and sophisticated UCR reporting system.

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS PROGRAM

As a result of new legislation effective July 1, 2006, qualified entities whose employees or volunteers provide care for vulnerable populations in Vermont are now authorized to receive Vermont criminal record checks for purposes of employment screening. Record check requests will be processed by the Vermont Crime Information Center (VCIC). The record check may only be requested with the permission of the applicant and only after a conditional offer of employment or volunteer status has been made. The program is voluntary – employers are not required by law to participate.

To request a VCIC Record Check through the Defender General's Office please use this form:   VCIC Record Checks.  This form is for public defenders and assigned counsel contractors only.