FDLE is looking to expand Matrix

The program's federal money ran out in April, but the police agency wants to compile credit information.

JACKSONVILLE - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is seeking proposals from companies to help expand a database for police to include credit and insurance information, even for those never accused of a crime.

The added information would be an extension of the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange project known as Matrix that began with 13 states and officially ended in April. Matrix combined criminal histories and public records such as drivers' licenses and property information.

The FDLE is asking companies how they would provide police across Florida with access to portions of people's credit reports and wants to find out which records "are readily available to law enforcement without subpoena or court order."

The FDLE proposal is seeking credit header information, including a person's name, current and previous address, phone number, date of birth and Social Security number.

"We are legally entitled to that," said Mark Zadra, chief of investigations for FDLE's Office of Statewide Intelligence.

Zadra said that information could be critical for authorities to find a current address of a suspect.

The request to vendors went out April 12. Bids are due May 16.

The American Civil Liberties Union cited privacy concerns and information theft as arguments against the expansion. It called FDLE's request "a continuing hunger to get its hands on as much information as possible."

Commercial databases include information on about 98 percent of Americans, said Jay Stanley, spokesman for the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Project.

"Do we want to just let that go or do we want to take steps to protect it?" Stanley asked.

Florida police already use a network that includes everything but the financial and insurance information.

Florida led the charge on Matrix, a pilot project that was started with $10.5-million in federal grants and drew the ire of privacy advocates. The database shut down last month after it ran out of federal funding.

FDLE spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said Friday that Florida is still using Matrix's operating system, but it is no longer linked to other states. The FDLE request to vendors would only apply to Florida, for now.

"The ultimate goal is to expand this capability to all states," according to the request, and vendors are asked to provide something that can easily be expanded.

FDLE Commissioner Guy Tunnell said having the additional information could assist police in solving financial crimes and identity theft.

[Last modified May 6, 2005, 00:37:10]