Overview and Frequently Asked Questions

Overview 

N.C. GangNET is a gang-tracking software application used for investigative, analytical, and statistical recording and tracking of gang members and associates, gangs, and their activities from jurisdictions across the state. The NC GangNET database supports information sharing about gang members and activities among participating law enforcement agencies and the NC Department of Adult Correction. N.C. GangNET and its associated training are offered free of charge to North Carolina qualified participants.

NC GangNET is based on the commercially developed GangNET software utilized by numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies across the United States and Canada. 

NC GangNET provides investigators a supplement to the existing law enforcement agency records management systems by providing a consolidated repository of information on gang members and associates and gang-related activity.  NC GangNET allows certified users including law enforcement officers, support personnel, probation and corrections officers to search gang-oriented information in a more efficient and effective manner than is possible in local agency's standard investigative records management systems. For example, a trained and certified officer in a local police department can easily query NC GangNET for a list of members in a specific gang or check to determine if a suspected gang member from another jurisdiction who is operating within the officer's city has been identified in other jurisdictions. It is not currently possible to perform the same sort of query using many local police department's records management systems.

NC GangNET has the capacity to share information with other state and local law enforcement agencies that use the GangNET software via the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (W/B HIDTA) program.  W/B HIDTA provides a read-only platform that allows participating local, state, and federal GangNET to share interstate gang intelligence. W/B HIDTA participants do not have the capability to edit or change information in NC GangNET. GCC requires access controls for state and local agencies as a prerequisite to gaining access to NC GangNET data. NC GangNET complies with 28 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 23, a federal regulation governing federally funded multijurisdictional criminal intelligence systems to ensure they are used in conformance with the privacy and constitutional rights of individuals. Under this regulation, a project can only collect and maintain criminal intelligence information concerning an individual if there is reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in criminal conduct or activity and the information is relevant to that criminal conduct or activity.  NC GangNET has established system submission criteria that define which individuals may be recorded in the system. All systems operating under 28 C.F.R. Part 23 have a mandatory maximum retention period of five years after the last date the data is edited.

In accordance with 28 C.F.R. Part 23, an individual must meet criteria established by NC GangNET to be included as either a gang member or gang associate in NC GangNET.  For example, an individual that has been convicted of a gang-related offense, has admitted to gang membership, and/or has been identified as a gang member by a jail or prison in which they were confined, could be included as a gang member or associated in the NC GangNET system. NC GangNET data is not used directly as evidence to prosecute crimes. NC GangNET is solely a data repository with limited search and analytical tools that help certified users identify individuals and organizations that may be involved in gang-related criminal activity. It is incumbent on the investigator that uses NC GangNET to build their case using original data sources which are referenced in NC GangNET and not information within the system alone.

Typical Transaction

During the course of a criminal investigation, a gang investigator encounters an individual (for example, the officer interviews the individual) who meets the North Carolina established criteria for being a gang member. In addition to other recordkeeping activities associated with the investigation (e.g., writing a report of interview for the case file and inputting information into the local agency records management system), the officer may logon to NC GangNET and query the system to determine if the individual already has an NC GangNET record. If no record exists, the officer may create a new record and enter the available identifying information about the individual, such as name, date of birth, physical description, immigration status, suspected gang affiliation, and photograph if available. The officer may also enter notes about his encounter with the individual (i.e., the interview). If the individual already has an NC GangNET record, the agent will review the record to determine if there is any useful information that may assist in his current investigation. In addition to updating any official case records that exist pertaining to the current investigation, he will also update the NC GangNET record with any new information obtained during the interview and will enter notes about the interview itself.