LEIN Legal & Ethical Use of Information 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An officer accesses LEIN to obtain the home address of a domestic violence victim to 'check on her welfare' at the request of the alleged abuser who is a friend. This is:
- A legitimate welfare check
- An ethical way to assist community members
- A serious misuse that could endanger the victim (Correct answer)
- Permissible if the abuser files a missing person report first
Correct answer: A serious misuse that could endanger the victim
Providing a victim's address to an alleged abuser through LEIN access constitutes a dangerous misuse that could directly facilitate further violence.
Question 2: Which of the following is a legitimate use of NCIC hot files accessed through LEIN?
- Checking whether a job applicant has a criminal record for a private employer
- Verifying whether a vehicle stopped at a traffic checkpoint is reported stolen (Correct answer)
- Confirming a neighbor's identity for a private citizen's concern
- Running background checks for a licensed private investigator
Correct answer: Verifying whether a vehicle stopped at a traffic checkpoint is reported stolen
Checking for stolen vehicles during legitimate law enforcement stops is a core authorized use of NCIC hot files through LEIN.
Question 3: Under CJIS Security Policy, agencies must ensure that personnel with LEIN access undergo background checks at a minimum of every:
- 10 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 3 years
- 1 year
Correct answer: 5 years
The FBI CJIS Security Policy requires that personnel with access to CJI, including LEIN, undergo background re-investigation every five years.
Question 4: A patrol officer's mobile data terminal displays a LEIN hit showing a vehicle is reported stolen. Before making an enforcement stop, the officer should:
- Immediately perform a felony stop without further verification
- Confirm the hit with the entering agency to ensure the record is current (Correct answer)
- Wait for backup before querying further
- Ignore the hit if the vehicle appears to be in good condition
Correct answer: Confirm the hit with the entering agency to ensure the record is current
LEIN/NCIC policy requires confirmation with the entering agency before taking action on a stolen vehicle hit to avoid errors and liability.
Question 5: Providing LEIN information to a foreign law enforcement agency requires:
- Only verbal supervisor approval
- Compliance with international treaty requirements and proper inter-agency channels (Correct answer)
- Direct sharing at the officer's discretion if the matter is urgent
- Approval from the local city council
Correct answer: Compliance with international treaty requirements and proper inter-agency channels
Sharing LEIN data internationally must follow formal treaty frameworks and designated inter-agency channels such as Interpol or federal liaison offices.
Question 6: An officer who 'purges' a valid LEIN arrest record because the suspect is a personal acquaintance is guilty of:
- Proper records management
- Official misconduct and obstruction of justice (Correct answer)
- A minor policy violation requiring only retraining
- Exercising appropriate discretion
Correct answer: Official misconduct and obstruction of justice
Deleting a legitimate record for personal reasons constitutes official misconduct and may constitute obstruction of justice under state and federal law.
Question 7: The term 'hit confirmation' in LEIN/NCIC procedures refers to:
- Electronically archiving a completed query
- Verifying with the originating agency that a wanted or stolen record is still active (Correct answer)
- Entering a new wanted person into the system
- Logging that an officer reviewed a record
Correct answer: Verifying with the originating agency that a wanted or stolen record is still active
Hit confirmation is a mandatory procedural step where the officer contacts the originating agency to verify the record is current and active before taking enforcement action.
LEIN Legal & Ethical Use of Information 4
An officer accesses LEIN to obtain the home address of a domestic violence victim to 'check on her welfare' at the request of the alleged abuser who is a friend.
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