In December 2023, the Justice Department launched the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) to enhance transparency, accountability, and hiring practices across federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement agencies. Serving as a centralized repository, NLEAD compiles official records of misconduct, commendations, and awards for federal law enforcement officers.
Unified Accountability Infrastructure
The NLEAD integrates all federal law enforcement agencies into a unified system, enabling hiring personnel to access comprehensive records about candidates’ prior misconduct. This improved access supports more informed hiring decisions, bolstering both public safety and officer accountability. To maintain data security, the database is accessible only to authorized users and is used to evaluate candidates’ suitability for law enforcement roles.
Annual Transparency Reports
On December 18, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) released the first public report featuring aggregated, anonymized data, adhering to transparency requirements outlined in an Executive Order. These reports, which will be published annually, provide an overview of the database’s utilization and impact.
All 90 Executive Branch agencies employing law enforcement officers—approximately 150,000 officers in total—have certified their compliance with NLEAD, either by submitting responsive records or confirming the absence of such records. While non-Executive Branch agencies are not mandated to participate, several have voluntarily opted into the program to promote greater accountability.
Key Features and Usage
The database contains records of misconduct and commendations for current and former federal officers from the past seven years. Regular compliance reviews ensure data quality. Authorized users can access the NLEAD through its official website, which also provides additional information about the database.
Federal law enforcement agencies are required to consider NLEAD records when making decisions about hiring, promotions, job assignments, or task force participation. Standard operating procedures have been implemented across agencies to ensure consistent usage of the database.
Since its launch, NLEAD has been queried nearly 10,000 times, with only 0.25% of searches resulting in cross-agency matches. In these cases, additional information was gathered to guide hiring decisions. The vast majority of officers are not listed in NLEAD, underscoring its role as a tool for informed decision-making rather than automatic disqualification.
Expanding Accountability to State and Local Levels
To support accountability at the SLTT level, the Justice Department has partnered with the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) and the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets). This collaboration enables SLTT agencies to query the NLEAD, improving oversight of officers transitioning from federal to SLTT employment.
In addition, the Department has funded IADLEST to expand the National Decertification Index (NDI), a registry tracking officer misconduct-related decertifications nationwide. Updates to the NDI, expected in 2025, will include additional data categories specified in the Executive Order, further enhancing its utility.
In May 2023, the Department issued accreditation standards for SLTT agencies, emphasizing NDI usage during hiring processes. Federal law enforcement agencies are now also required to consult the NDI for hiring and task force participation decisions, ensuring consistent accountability for officers moving between SLTT and federal employment.
Moving Forward
The NLEAD initiative demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to improving law enforcement accountability at all levels. By streamlining access to critical information and supporting the expansion of accountability tools, the Department is fostering a more transparent, equitable, and reliable law enforcement hiring system.
Source: DOJ/Office of Public Affairs
