Law Enforcement Data Exchange Support Services

The FY 1998 Justice Appropriations Act, Public Law 105-119 authorized $2.4 million to OJJDP to stimulate the creation of "State and local law enforcement cyber units to investigate child sexual exploitation" by offenders using the Internet or online communications technology. OJJDP developed the ICAC Task Force Program to assist State and local law enforcement agencies to acquire the necessary knowledge, equipment, and personnel resources to prevent, interdict, or investigate ICAC offenses.

In FY 1998, ten agencies (1st Tier) received ICAC Task Force cooperative agreements. Subsequent annual funding has allowed for the expansion of the ICAC program to grow to 39 Task Forces. Under this program, these agencies serve as regional sources of prevention, education, and investigative expertise to provide assistance to parents, teachers, law enforcement, and other professionals working on child victimization issues.

A substantial challenge in managing the activity of these 39 Task Forces is ensuring timely and accurate communication between them and OJJDP As a means to accomplish this goal a need was recognized to develop a central resource for the Task Forces to maintain joint training and technical assistance information, a case deconfliction system, and a means to collect statistical accomplishment data for OJJDP and individual Task Force use. With substantial assistance from private industry, such a resource has been provided to the ICAC Task Forces and OJJDP. However, private industry is only able to offer so much in start up resources, to include servers, web design and web portal access. The maintenance and upkeep of such a resource is critical.

With funding provided by the Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations Act provided to OJJDP funds, Integrated Digital Systems/Scan America, will use OJJDP funds to maintain its secure web based collaboration application and web site at LEDX.org specifically designed for the OJJDP ICAC Task Force Program. Access to this site is restricted to law enforcement agencies and organizations affiliated with the prevention of ICAC related crimes.

As noted above, the initial infrastructure, hardware, software and services to create LEDX were at no cost. The development of the web site was a joint effort between private industry and government working together to provide law enforcement state of the art technology to combat the raising threat on the internet against children. However, the project for which funding will cover is to continue the operation, support and maintenance of LEDX. The demands and capabilities of LEDX are constantly expanding and require a great deal of support. Furthermore, as the ICAC progam continues to expand site maintenance and user support is necessary to insure ICAC Task Forces have access to this secure and interactive web resource.

NCA/NCF