Advocating for a Unified Digital Vital Records System Across African Nations
The FBI has awarded a five-and-a-half-year contract worth nearly $130 million to Leidos, a leading technology solutions provider. The contract, focusing on the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division’s Fingerprint Analysis Support Team (FAST) Biometric Services program, is a key component of the FBI's plan to modernize and strengthen its biometric identification capacities.
Leidos will play a crucial role in the ongoing development and maintenance of biometric services, which form a vital part of the FBI's fingerprint and biometric identification framework. This collaboration between Leidos and the CJIS Division extends back to 2018, during which time they have collaborated to incrementally develop and integrate the Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. This system is renowned as the world’s largest and most efficient repository of biometric and criminal history data, utilized by federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies.
The NGI system incorporates advanced features such as the Repository for Individuals of Special Concern and Rap Back notifications. These features empower authorized users to receive alerts about criminal activity involving individuals holding sensitive public trust positions.
Leidos has implemented agile methodology and DevOps practices since 2016, fostering a strategic partnership with CJIS teams and promoting steady advancements in biometric services software.
This partnership marks a significant milestone in leveraging Leidos’ expertise to bolster and expand the FBI's biometric identification technologies, which are indispensable for comprehensive law enforcement and criminal justice operations across the nation. Although additional technical and operational details were not available, this contract serves as a testament to the vital role that advanced biometric identification plays in securing our nation.
Leidos' expertise in technology solutions will be instrumental in advancing the FBI's biometric identification strategies, specifically in the finance sector, as the NGI system helps law enforcement agencies share and cross-reference information, such as bank records or financial transactions. Additionally, the integration of artificial-intelligence technology within the NGI system will enable swift and precise biometric identification, revolutionizing the criminal justice industry's approach to Identification Services.
