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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Lino Lakes Public Safety <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Director John Swenson <br />FROM: Captain William Owens <br />DATE: June 17, 2020 <br />RE: LiveScan Device <br /> <br />Director Swenson, as you are aware from our previous discussions, suspense files in our criminal justice <br />records is a public safety concern for our agency. Because suspense records are incomplete criminal <br />justice information, they impact our ability to accurately manage our records and have potential to <br />impact our responsibility to issue firearms permits, clearance letters, and effectively assist prosecution <br />of criminal offenses. I requested Records Tech Brooke Jacobson to investigate how we can impact <br />suspense files from our agency. Ms. Jacobson provided the following information: <br /> <br />When a criminal justice record is in ‘suspense,’ it means a court disposition cannot be linked to a criminal history <br />arrest record. Suspended court dispositions have a serious impact across the criminal justice system. <br /> An inaccurate criminal history could lead to convicted offenders being cleared for firearms purchases or <br />employment in “sensitive” positions. <br /> Public safety and security is eroded as flight risks increase. <br /> A prosecutor’s efficiency can also be decreased because of the need to manage a noncustodial subject and <br />ensure their processing. If the subject does not cooperate, contempt charged could lead to additional <br />expenditure of time and resources. <br /> The court’s efficiency can also be decreased because of a rescheduled court appearance and the need to <br />spend time and resources correcting suspended court dispositions. <br /> The effectiveness of courts can be reduced. Prosecutors and court personnel may be impeded because of <br />an inability to: <br />o Confirm subject’s identity <br />o Confirm controlling agency (CAG) <br />o Sufficiently review the subject’s criminal history <br />o Successfully prosecute and adjudicate based on current and historical fact <br />When fingerprint cards are not submitted to the BCA, suspended court dispositions can occur. There are a number of <br />reasons why suspense records occur. <br />o A subject being cited and released without booking <br />o A subject appears in court and is not fingerprinted <br />o Poor quality fingerprints were taken and rejected by either Livescan or the BCA without replacements being <br />submitted <br />o Arrest data being formatted incorrectly or omitted, causing rejection by Livescan or BCA <br />o Other poorly-defined or followed business practices <br />48