LONDON, Ky. (WKYT) – The FBI is currently investigating the London Police Department, according to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 4, Laurel County Sheriff John Root confirmed to WKYT’s Samantha Valentino that the city and county’s control of the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) was transferred from the London Police Department to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
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Former London Mayor and current mayoral candidate Tracie Handley says the investigation was revealed in a special-called meeting of the London-Laurel County Communications Center Board on February 3.
The only item on the meeting’s agenda was “CJIS Management Control.”
London-Laurel County Communications Center Board Meeting Agenda(London-Laurel County Communications Center Board)
During a London City Council meeting on February 2, the Acting Chief of the London Police Department, Gary Mehler, was asked about the situation.
“It’s information security, criminal justice security, and they are looking into a few things. There may or may not have been a procedural error, and we’re working to figure that out,” Mehler said.
WKYT has made several attempts to reach out to the London Police Department for comment about the FBI’s investigation. Those requests have not been returned.
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) manages and operates several national crime information systems used by the public safety community for both criminal and civil purposes.
Among these systems is the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The U.S. Department of Justice describes the NCIC as “a criminal records database allowing criminal justice agencies to enter or search for information about stolen property, missing or wanted persons, and domestic violence protection orders; to get criminal histories; and to access the National Sex Offender Registry.”
On February 4, WKYT’s Samantha Valentino asked Sheriff Root whether the London-Laurel County Communications Center Board approved transferring control of NCIC usage from the London Police Department to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
Additionally, Samantha asked Root whether the decision came at the request of Kentucky State Police due to an ongoing investigation by the FBI regarding LPD’s NCIC usage.
In response to Samantha’s questions, Sheriff Root said, “Yes it was changed and we were advised by KSP to change from London PD to LCSO. There is in fact a on going investigation by the FBI into the matter.”
The FBI said that as a matter of longstanding policy, they can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any specific investigation.
Through an open records request, WKYT’s Samantha Valentino obtained emails between KSP and London-Laurel County 911 regarding CJIS management control.
On February 4, KSP LINK Audit Branch CJIS Compliance Supervisor Joilee Hall sent the below email to London-Laurel County 911 Director Larry Walls.
Email from KSP to London-Laurel County 911(WKYT)
“Due to recent findings of CJIS misuse by the London Police Department, they are being placed in a level A sanction causing total suspension of use of the CJIS network,” Hall wrote.
Hall noted that as a result of the suspension, CJIS management control would have to be transferred to another agency, suggesting the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
The email was sent one day after the London-Laurel County Communications Center Board transferred CJIS management control from the London Police Department to the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
When asked about the timeline of events, London-Laurel County 911 told WKYT’s Samantha Valentino they were first notified of the situation in a phone call from KSP on January 30. However, Director Walls later requested something in writing for the agency’s records, which prompted the February 4 email.
The Law Enforcement Network of Kentucky (LINK) is managed by KSP and oversees CJIS usage. Their policy outlines the different sanctions that can be imposed on agencies and why.
A Level A sanction, as the London Police Department is under, is the highest sanction. It causes a total suspension from use of the CJIS network.
“This sanction level provides for total suspension from use of the CJIS Network until those discrepancies identified by the CJIS System Agency (CSA) are corrected. The violating agency would receive written notification from the CSA noting the violation and what measures the CSA would require to correct the violation,” the policy reads.
According to the policy, the following list would cause a Level A sanction to be imposed:
- Providing direct or indirect access of CJIS information in return for personal or agency gain;
- Manipulation of CJIS information or source documents that would alter or affect a record in return for personal or agency gain;
- Allowing access to the CJIS terminal by sharing of unique logon credentials;
- Unauthorized system access in an attempt to access or manipulate Directory Files;
- Failure to address recommendations resulting from a Class “B” sanction;
- Misuse of information from the Interstate Identification Index (III) Files where the agency has been notified of the misuse and failed to take appropriate action.
The London City Council has also launched its own investigation into how police officers use the criminal database.
During a special-called meeting on February 11, the London City Council unanimously adopted a resolution seeking a log of all searches made by the police department going back to October 2024.
They want to know whether those searches involved city council members and other city employees, and whether anyone gave information from the database to individuals outside of law enforcement.
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