If a person is arrested by a Virginia State Trooper, a record of the arrest is made and preserved at State Police Headquarters. If he is arrested by the county sheriff or a county or city policeman, a local record is made but normally no report would be made to the State Police. Only about one-half of the State and local law enforcement agencies contribute fingerprints and information concerning arrests to the files of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

There has been for some years discussion of the desirability of establishing a central repository for records of arrests and convictions, with characteristic identifying information, and in 1964 the Governor directed the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council to make a study of the matter.

Pursuant to the Governor's request, the Council selected J. C. Hutcheson of Lawrenceville, member of the State Senate and member of the Council, to serve as Chairman of a Committee to make the preliminary investigation and report to it. Selected to serve as members of the Committee were the following: John Alexander, Warrenton, member of the Senate; E. Almer Ames, Jr., Onancock, member of the Senate; Frederick T. Gray, Richmond; William J. Hassan, Arlington, Commonwealth's Attorney of Arlington County; John Wingo Knowles, Richmond, Judge, Henrico Circuit Court; W. H. Overbey, Rustburg, County Judge, Campbell County; A. L. Philpott, Bassett, member of the House of Delegates; D. French Slaughter, Jr., Culpeper, member of the House of Delegates; John R. Snoddy, Jr., Dillwyn, Commonwealth's Attorney, Buckingham County; William F. Stone, Martinsville, member of the Senate; Harold C. Taylor, Windsor, Sheriff, Isle of Wight County; George M. Warren, Jr., Bristol, member of the Senate; and Alexander Wellford, Richmond. With the exception of Sheriff Taylor, all members of the Committee are attorneys at law. John B. Boatwright, Jr., and G. M. Lapsley served as Secretary and Recording Secretary, respectively, to the Committee.

The Committee secured information from 47 of the other states. It collected information from the several State agencies which have law enforcement responsibilities. It examined the record-keeping systems of the major State agencies which maintain criminal records. It secured information from the major firms which manufacture automatic data processing equipment. It held a public hearing at which the views of representatives of the local constitutional officers and other interested groups were solicited and obtained. The Committee completed its study and reported to the Council. Based upon the information before it, the Council now makes the recommendations summarized below.