Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 165 - Department of justice.
165.83 - Criminal identification, records and statistics.

165.83 Criminal identification, records and statistics.
(1) Definitions. As used in this section and s. 165.84:
(b) “Law enforcement agency" means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed full time by the state or a political subdivision of the state for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enforcing state laws or local ordinances, employees of which unit are authorized to make arrests for crimes while acting within the scope of their authority.
(c) “Offense" means any of the following:
1. An act that is committed by a person who has attained the age of 17 and that is a felony or a misdemeanor.
2. An act that is committed by a person who has attained the age of 10 but who has not attained the age of 17 and that would be a felony or misdemeanor if committed by an adult.
3. An act that is committed by any person and that is a violation of a city, county, village or town ordinance.
(d) “Reservation lands" has the meaning given in s. 165.92 (1) (a).
(e) “Tribal law enforcement agency" means any of the following:
1. An agency of a tribe that is established for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime on the reservation or trust lands of the tribe and enforcing the tribe's laws or ordinances, that employs full time one or more persons who are granted law enforcement and arrest powers under s. 165.92 (2) (a), and that was created by a tribe that agrees that its law enforcement agency will perform the duties required of the agency under this section and s. 165.84.
2. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, if the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission agrees to perform the duties required under this section and s. 165.84.
(f) “Tribe" has the meaning given in s. 165.92 (1) (c).
(g) “Trust lands" has the meaning given in s. 165.92 (1) (d).
(2) The department shall:
(a) Obtain and file fingerprints, descriptions, photographs and any other available identifying data on persons who have been arrested or taken into custody in this state:
1. For an offense which is a felony or which would be a felony if committed by an adult.
2. For an offense which is a misdemeanor, which would be a misdemeanor if committed by an adult or which is a violation of an ordinance, and the offense involves burglary tools, commercial gambling, dealing in gambling devices, contributing to the delinquency of a child, dealing in stolen property, controlled substances or controlled substance analogs under ch. 961, firearms, dangerous weapons, explosives, pandering, prostitution, sex offenses where children are victims, or worthless checks.
3. For an offense charged or alleged as disorderly conduct but which relates to an act connected with one or more of the offenses under subd. 2.
4. As a fugitive from justice.
5. For any other offense designated by the attorney general.
(b) Accept for filing fingerprints and other identifying data, taken at the discretion of the law enforcement or tribal law enforcement agency involved, on persons arrested or taken into custody for offenses other than those listed in par. (a).
(c) Obtain and file fingerprints and other available identifying data on unidentified human corpses found in this state.
(d) Obtain and file information relating to identifiable stolen or lost property.
(e) Obtain and file a copy or detailed description of each arrest warrant issued in this state for the offenses under par. (a) or s. 346.63 (1) or (5) but not served because the whereabouts of the person named on the warrant is unknown or because that person has left the state. All available identifying data shall be obtained with the copy of the warrant, including any information indicating that the person named on the warrant may be armed, dangerous or possessed of suicidal tendencies.
(f) Collect information concerning the legal action taken in connection with offenses committed in this state from the inception of the complaint to the final discharge of the defendant and such other information as may be useful in the study of crime and the administration of justice. The department may determine any other information to be obtained regarding crime records.
(g) Furnish all reporting officials with forms and instructions which specify in detail the nature of the information required under pars. (a) to (f) and any other matters which facilitate collection.
(h) Cooperate with and assist all law enforcement and tribal law enforcement agencies in the state in the establishment of a state system of criminal identification and in obtaining fingerprints and other identifying data on all persons described in pars. (a), (b) and (c).
(i) Offer assistance and, when practicable, instructions to all local and tribal law enforcement agencies in establishing efficient local and tribal bureaus of identification and records systems.
(j) Compare the fingerprints and descriptions that are received from law enforcement and tribal law enforcement agencies with the fingerprints and descriptions already on file and, if the person arrested or taken into custody is a fugitive from justice or has a criminal record, immediately notify the law enforcement and tribal law enforcement agencies concerned and supply copies of the criminal record to these agencies.
(k) Make available all statistical information obtained to the governor and the legislature.
(m) Prepare and publish reports and releases, at least once a year, containing the statistical information gathered under this section and presenting an accurate picture of the operation of the agencies of criminal justice.
(n) Make available upon request, to all local, state and tribal law enforcement agencies in this state, to all federal law enforcement and criminal identification agencies, and to state law enforcement and criminal identification agencies in other states, any information in the law enforcement files of the department which will aid these agencies in the performance of their official duties. For this purpose the department shall operate on a 24-hour a day basis, 7 days a week. The information may also be made available to any other agency of this state or political subdivision of this state, and to any other federal agency, upon assurance by the agency concerned that the information is to be used for official purposes only.
(p) Cooperate with other agencies of this state, tribal law enforcement agencies and the national crime information center systems of the F.B.I. in developing and conducting an interstate, national and international system of criminal identification, records and statistics.
History: 1971 c. 219; 1983 a. 27, 535; 1985 a. 29; 1993 a. 407; 1995 a. 448; 1997 a. 27; 2007 a. 27; 2009 a. 402.
NOTE: 1993 Wis. Act 407, which creates sub. (1) (d) to (g) and amends sub. (2), contains extensive explanatory notes.
Pursuant to sub. (2), identification records should be made by local law enforcement agencies of juveniles arrested or taken into custody for confidential reporting to the department of justice. 62 Atty. Gen. 45.

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