Section 4: Systems and services | Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

Previous: Section 3: Special ACIC operations

This section describes the ACIC’s delivery of national policing information systems and services and checking services, to support law enforcement and community safety, in 2024–25.

National policing information systems and services

As law enforcement agencies, border protection agencies and intelligence partners continue to be challenged by serious and organised criminals moving between jurisdictions and diversifying their criminal activities, the ACIC has an important role in facilitating access to policing information and intelligence holdings across Australia.

The ACIC does this through IT systems and linked databases that deliver information-sharing solutions between Commonwealth, state and territory agencies, bringing together essential information from around the country and making it accessible to all Australian police and law enforcement agencies.

The ACIC’s national policing information systems give police and other accredited users the ability to complete national searches on a range of criminal data holdings, offering services that support checks, investigations and general police work.

Performance against targets for national policing information systems availability, enhancement and stakeholder value is analysed in the ACIC’s Annual Report 2024–25. Table 4.1 shows the availability of systems against board-agreed benchmarks for 2024–25.

Table 4.1: National policing information systems availability
System	2024–25 (%)	Board-agreed benchmark (%)	Benchmark met
Australian Ballistic Information Network	100.00	95.00	✔
Australian Firearms Information Network	100.00	98.50^a	✔
Australian Law Enforcement Intelligence Network/Australian Criminal Intelligence Database: Desk	100.00	98.50	✔
National Automated Fingerprint Identification System	99.95	99.50	✔
National Child Offender System	99.86	99.50	✔
National Criminal Intelligence System	99.93	99.90	✔
National Criminal Investigation DNA Database	99.96	99.00	✔
National Firearms Identification Database	100.00	96.00	✔
National Missing Persons and Victim System	100.00	96.00	✔
National Police Reference System	99.99	99.50	✔
National Vehicles of Interest System	99.95	99.00	✔
Working with Children Checks National Reference System	99.97	98.70	✔

^{a This benchmark was incorrectly shown as 99.00% in Table 2.3 of the 2023–24 Board of the ACIC Chair Annual Report.}

Australian Ballistic Information Network

The Australian Ballistic Information Network assists police across Australia to identify ballistics data to link crimes, firearms and suspects. It helps police to electronically match crime scene ballistic evidence to the firearm used, or to link crimes where the same firearm or its components have been used at multiple scenes.

This system builds on ballistic libraries that operate in several states and territories.

During 2024–25, the Australian Ballistic Information Network had 163 registered users. The system was used to conduct 3,142 searches and provided 64 positive data matches.

Australian Firearms Information Network

The Australian Firearms Information Network helps police and other law enforcement agencies to manage the registration, licensing and movement of firearms. The historical data in the system allows users to contribute to and share national records of the life cycles of all registered firearms in Australia. All police partners, the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force are integrated with the network.

During 2024–25, the Australian Firearms Information Network had 537 registered users and was used to conduct 393,854 searches.

Australian Law Enforcement Intelligence Network

The Australian Law Enforcement Intelligence Network is the secure extranet that provides a gateway for partners to access the ACIC’s intelligence databases and services. It is also a secure messaging channel for sharing criminal information and intelligence between Commonwealth, state and territory partners.

During 2024–25, the Australian Law Enforcement Intelligence Network had 3,954 registered users.

Court Portal

The ACIC’s Court Portal provides magistrates courts and family courts in all Australian states and territories with read-only access to information from the National Police Reference System that relates to protection orders and domestic violence orders. The information is provided by the courts and provisioned into the National Police Reference System by police agencies.

The Court Portal provides a national information-sharing capability in support of the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme. By ensuring that local courts and police can collaborate to manage domestic violence orders effectively, the portal contributes to the increased safety of victims of domestic violence and the wider community.

In 2024–25, the system was used by the courts to conduct 3,482 searches for information related to protection orders and domestic violence orders.

National Automated Fingerprint Identification System

Australian police use the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System to identify individuals from their fingerprints or palm prints. The system helps police to solve crimes by matching crime scene evidence to persons of interest. It enables near real-time uploads of prints from crime scenes, helping police to identify suspects in minutes.

The Department of Home Affairs also uses information from the system, via an interface to its biometrics identification system, to support Australia’s migration program.

During 2024–25, the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System had 476 registered users. The system was used to conduct 2,221,186 searches, and provided 405,378 positive data matches.

National Child Offender System

The National Child Offender System helps police to protect the community by enabling them to uphold child protection legislation in their state or territory.

The system allows Australian police to record and share child offender information and directly enables police to manage key information to meet the requirements of the relevant child protection legislation in each state and territory. It includes the Australian National Child Offender Register and the Managed Person System.

During 2024–25, the National Child Offender System had 1,432 registered users.

National Criminal Intelligence System

NCIS is the core system for sharing national policing information and intelligence in Australia. The system provides law enforcement and intelligence agencies with a comprehensive, unified picture of criminal activity, and enables them to work more collaboratively.

NCIS contributes to a safer Australia by arming agencies with the cross-border information they need, when they need it, to address and prevent criminal activity. By sharing a national view of crime from multiple agencies, and delivering targeted, timely, relevant and prioritised national policing information, NCIS ensures that law enforcement officers are informed about risks to themselves and the community and can respond accordingly.

In 2024–25, enhanced operational policing data from Tasmania Police and additional historical international movements data were added to NCIS, along with significant uplifts to functions, security and integrity.

Police partner agencies have progressively integrated with NCIS via system-to-system provisioning and consumption. This integration reduces reliance on the National Police Reference System as a source for police partners operational systems. In line with the nationally agreed implementation sequence and resourcing arrangements, the Northern Territory Police Force is scheduled to complete NCIS integration for both provisioning of data and consumption by October 2026.

Working with partner agencies in 2024–25, the ACIC progressed towards the future addition of enhanced operational policing data from South Australia Police, Australian Federal Police and Northern Territory Police Force to NCIS, along with a project to uplift national criminal intelligence and information sharing through NCIS.

During 2024–25, the NCIS had 41,707 system-to-system registered users and 52,530 user interface users, and was used to conduct 50,421,114 searches.

National Criminal Investigation DNA Database

The NCIDD holds samples of DNA profiles collected by Australian police from crime scenes, convicted offenders, suspects and volunteers. The database and its Integrated Forensic Analysis tool help police to solve crimes and eliminate innocent people as suspects, by linking DNA profiles from crime scenes with DNA profiles from persons of interest and other crime scenes.

The database also holds DNA profiles from missing persons, family members of missing persons, and unknown human remains. It has the capability to use DNA to link family relationships, to facilitate quick identification of disaster victims and help resolve missing persons cases. The software is configured to manage the complex policy and legislative differences between Australian jurisdictions.

During 2024–25, the NCIDD had 123 registered users and now has approximately 2 million DNA profiles.

National Firearms Identification Database

The National Firearms Identification Database sets uniform national standards for the identification of firearms registered within Australia.

The database is a reference tool that enables police to identify and characterise a firearm using descriptors such as make, model, calibre and magazine capacity. It assists police to ensure that firearms are recorded consistently during registration, importation or transfer of ownership and movement across state and territory borders. The database is also available for the public and can be accessed via nfid.acic.gov.au.

During 2024–25, the National Firearms Identification Database had 363 registered users and was used to conduct 115,192 searches.

National Missing Persons and Victim System

The National Missing Persons and Victim System provides Australian state and territory police with the ability to share information on long-term missing persons and unidentified human remains. The system can match ante-mortem and post-mortem dental records and perform other advanced searches.

The system is also used by Australian and New Zealand police to identify victims of disasters. Interpol uses the same software for disaster victim identification, and Australian teams are familiar with the Interpol system and processes. This approach makes it easier for countries to assist each other in the aftermath of a regional or global disaster.

During 2024–25, the National Missing Persons and Victim System had 436 registered users.

National Police Reference System

The National Police Reference System equips police with the knowledge they need to make on-the-spot decisions when dealing with persons of interest. It is available to more than 71,000 police officers, investigators and analysts across Australia, enabling them to share critical intelligence.

The system provides key national reference data such as names, photographs, identity information, criminal history (charges and convictions), and information on warnings, warrants, wanted persons, and firearms. The data is accessible from handheld devices, in‑car terminals and desktop computers.

The implementation of NCIS continued to result in decreases in the numbers of users and searches of the National Police Reference System in 2024–25, due to National Police Reference System data being made available through NCIS.

During 2024–25, the National Police Reference System had 30,730 registered users and was used to conduct 11,833,241 searches.

National Vehicles of Interest System

The National Vehicles of Interest System enables police to record and search for local or interstate vehicles that may be stolen or suspicious. System users can also enquire about vehicle component information, national vehicle registration and description information, and national driver licence information provided by the National Exchange of Vehicle and Driver Information System hosted by Austroads (the peak organisation of Australasian road transport and traffic agencies).

During 2024–25, the National Vehicles of Interest System had 40,353 registered users and was used to conduct 9,545,855 searches.

Checking services

The ACIC works with Commonwealth, state and territory police agencies to deliver checking services which enhance the safety of the community by providing timely and accurate offence history information that helps decision-makers to determine the suitability of applicants for a range of employment, volunteering, registration, licensing and other entitlements.

National Police Checking Service

The National Police Checking Service helps to protect the safety of the community by minimising the risk that unsuitable people will be appointed to positions of trust. To deliver the service, the ACIC works with accredited bodies that submit requests for nationally coordinated criminal history checks, and with police agencies that vet requests when a potential match with criminal records has been identified.

Accredited bodies are allowed controlled access to the National Police Checking Service Support System so that they can submit requests for checks. They include certain government agencies, private sector businesses and brokers, not-for-profit organisations, and screening units responsible for the assessment of people who apply to work with children or vulnerable people. As the regulator of the accredited bodies, the ACIC provides education and conducts audits to ensure that they comply with the agreement that gives them access to the system.

Demand for nationally coordinated criminal history checks is high and continues to rise. In 2024–25, the National Police Checking Service processed more than 7.26 million requests for checks, the highest number processed since the system was implemented in 2012.

Table 4.2 summarises key statistics for the service in 2024–25.

Table 4.2: National Police Checking Service statistics
Measure	2024–25 result	Board-agreed benchmark	Result ≥ benchmark/average
Availability^a	99.96%	99.00%	✔
Timeliness – non-urgent checks completed within 10 business days	98.94%	95.00%	✔
Timeliness – urgent checks completed within 5 business days	99.52%	95.00%	✔
Checks processed	7.26 million	n.a.	✔

^{n.a. = not applicable}

^{a Availability of the National Police Checking Service Support System.}

Working with Children Checks National Reference System

The Working with Children Checks National Reference System provides a centralised database for the sharing of ‘negative notice’ decisions for Working with Children Check applicants between state and territory screening agencies.

After the 2024–25 reporting period, the Northern Territory introduced legislation to facilitate the provisioning of negative notices to the national reference system. Implementation activities to operationalise these legislative amendments are planned to progress in 2026.

Once implementation is complete, all jurisdictions will be integrated with the system, enabling screening agencies to view information on persons who have been denied a Working with Children Check in other jurisdictions. Agencies can use this information, supported by criminal history and risk assessment material, to vet applicants and monitor current Working with Children Check holders.

The system permits a screening agency to search for key negative decisions of interstate screening agencies when deciding upon a new application. The system also permits a screening agency to undertake batch searches of all current cardholders against the national dataset, to establish whether negative notices for cardholders exist in a particular state or territory.

During 2024–25, the Working with Children Checks National Reference System was available 99.97% of the time, against a board-agreed benchmark of 98.70%. The system was used to conduct 198,728,065 searches.

Next: Section 5: Legislative framework and legal actions