What does the Interstate Identification Index (III) contain?

The Interstate Identification Index (III) serves as a system for sharing criminal history information among law enforcement agencies across the United States. It primarily aggregates criminal records maintained by federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies, allowing for a comprehensive and cohesive overview of an individual's criminal history. This centralized database is crucial for various law enforcement functions, such as background checks during firearm purchases and employment screenings, ensuring that officials have access to pertinent information when assessing an individual's background.

In contrast, records of local traffic violations, reports of community crime statistics, and records of civil complaints do not pertain directly to criminal history as maintained in the III. Traffic violations may be documented in other systems related to motor vehicle records, community crime statistics are typically collected for public awareness and safety initiatives rather than criminal enforcement, and civil complaints are not criminal in nature and therefore not included in a criminal history database like the III. Thus, the choice that represents the purpose and contents of the Interstate Identification Index is clearly the one that emphasizes criminal history information from criminal justice agencies.