NCJ Number
124652
Date Published
1989
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The actions taken in response to the five recommendations of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) December 1988 study aimed at combining the automated lookout systems operated by the Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the Department of the Treasury's U.S. Customs service are reported.
Abstract
Information for this report was obtained from May 1989 through September 1989 by reviewing documentation provided by OMB, INS, and Customs. Views of responsible agency officials were incorporated. The OMB study's objective was to determine the most appropriate approach for fulfilling lookout information requirements at the border. INS and Customs began to implement the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) in April 1989 in response to the OMB recommendation for a single mainframe-based system. The automated capabilities of IBIS, based on Customs' TECS II, incorporate certain features such as a name soundex search function, an alien identification card search function, and the use of machine readable document technology. Other action taken based on OMB recommendations includes establishing a joint systems group, which has responsibility for the ongoing development and operation of IBIS, and improving the sharing of information among law enforcement groups. As of August 31, 1989, no action had been taken in response to two OMB recommendations, namely, the preparation of a work plan to introduce a systems architecture reflecting the economics and versatility of small computers and determination of the feasibility of establishing a border data center.